The Chosen Apprentice
by Katana-Geldar
Summary: Three years after the Clone Wars has finished, Anakin is still coming to terms with what happened. The sequel to the Jedi Padme trilogy.
1. Chapter 1

**The Chosen Apprentice –Sequel to Jedi Padmé AU Trilogy**

**Author: ** KatanaGeldar

**Genre: **Alternate Universe

**Time set: **14 BBY

**Summary:** Three years after the conclusion of the Clone Wars the Jedi Order and the Republic have moved on, yet Anakin Skywalker has not. While he still struggles to come to terms with Padmé's death, the relative peace caused by the end of the war looks to dissolve in petty bickering over the continued role of the Jedi.

**Acknowledgements:** I relied on a number of sources here including A.C. Crispin's _Han Solo Trilogy_, Brian Daley's _Han Solo Adventures_, Luceno's _Labyrinth of Evil_ and _Dark Lord_, Stover's _Revenge of the Sith _novel as well as a number of JCers in Lit to help out with the political questions involved with taking Palpatine out of the Republic. Thanks must also go to A.C Crispin for her help and StarAngel for reading this manuscript when I could barely see from one end to the other with it.

**Disclaimer:** Star Wars is not mine; I just like to write with it. This fic follows a narrative arc of my own making with characters created by George Lucas and other authors.

**Note: **This follows more or less directly from ROTS AU, so unless you have read all of the Jedi Padmé trilogy not much of this is going to make sense. There will be **five **stories following this one, and a further **three** Jedi Padmé stories in the Clone Wars.

This is also a very different story from my other fics as its longer, there's not as much action, quite a bit of intrigue and A LOT of dialogue. In short, it's a little more like an EU novel.

Apologies ahead to Anakin-lovers, I like him too but he's so much fun to torture.

_Maybe we're wrong to attach ourselves to the Force at the expense of life as most beings know it, which includes lust, love and a lot of other emotions that are forbidden to us. Devotion to a higher cause is fine and good, but we shouldn't ignore what's going on in front of our own eyes. Jedi are not infallible, Dooku understood that. He looked things squarely in the eye, and decided to do something about it._ - Anakin Skywalker, 'Labyrinth of Evil'

The freighter was shaped like a flat disk with a large wedge taken out and replaced at the back to house the cockpit and cargo area. It looked beaten-up enough to pass for a private vessel that may or may not have been involved in illegal activities.

Yet this was the purpose, and it was carried off well even though the intent of the pilot was more altruistic. In the cockpit of the _Satyr_, a freighter from Denon that had been used as cover before, was Anakin Skywalker.

He looked somewhat different from the way he appeared on the HoloNet, his cheeks were bristled with week-old stubble and his hair lay lank, tied at the back of his head. He wore a worn, patched coat and a nasty-looking blaster strapped to his thigh. Yet the clothing and the blaster were as much of a disguise as the ship was, for the coat concealed his lightsaber. He was still a Jedi, even if somewhat more reluctantly than before.

"This is Etti IV Port Authority," said a commanding voice over the ship's com. "Please transmit your code for security clearance."

"Transmission commencing," Anakin complied, hitting the switch accordingly.

There was silence, for a moment Anakin considered conning his way past the port authority with the Force. Yet when the com crackled to life again he needn't have.

"You have been identified _Satyr_." Anakin smiled for a moment, then came another request. "What is your business in Etti IV?"

This was unpleasant but not unexpected; fortunately, Anakin had an answer ready.

"Repairs," he said, trying to give the feeling of disappointment. "Took a pounding from some local rust buckets, you know how it gets—"

"_Satyr_ you are cleared for entry," interrupted the port authority tersely. "Docking bay ninety-four."

"Ninety-four," Anakin repeated, flicking off the com.

--

Apart from the areas devoted to the pursuit of criminal activities, Etti IV was dominated by the near monopoly of the Corporate Sector Authority. They were an officially sanctioned government by the Republic, Anakin recalled how their jurisdiction was questioned but never acted upon due to the fact that many influential beings had invested interests in the Corporate Sector. There was also the matter of the sector's senator, Triev Stokra, who was a problem in a category all on his own.

Including, quite surprisingly, the Trade Federation. They were the last of the Separatists to be accounted for. The IG Banking Clan, the Corporate Alliance…they had all been dealt with and appropriate reparations had been wheedled after them. Yet even though many of the Viceroy Nute Gunray's underlings had been found, Gunray himself still remained at large.

Anakin had been tracking him for a number of months. First as a Jedi and then going undercover as a small trader. He had paid a rather high price on Nar Shaddaa for the information that the Viceroy was hiding on Etti IV, yet the price was well worth it as he knew the Neimoidian was running out of options. This time he would have Gunray, and Anakin did not know any other way to act than to succeed.

This was somewhat of an effect the last three years had had on him. Instead of pausing and reflecting as he had been trained to do, Anakin instead focused on what was just ahead and paid little attention to what was happening around him. Obi-Wan had once mentioned rather lightly when he was last on Coruscant that it had something to do with Padmé's death, Anakin had not said anything. It had been over a year since he had mentioned Padmé's name and still did not know how to handle people mentioning her.

Yet as he set his ship down in the docking bay, the only thing on his mind was the mission at hand: find the Viceroy; bring him back to Coruscant to stand trial.

Nothing else mattered, at least not to him.

--

Standing in the shadows, a boy aged about fifteen looked up and down the darkened street, inspecting the large villas either side. As well as the high thick walls each was equipped with a security system just as formidable. That was to say nothing about the assassin droids and ray shield traps that may lie about.

Yet he emerged into the light with a definite purpose in mind, walking directly towards one of the villas and scrutinising the electronic panel near the gate. It was a make he knew, easy to rig, yet just as easy to trip.

With a lop-sided grin he traced his fingers over the metal to where he knew the wires would be. After all, they were made all the same and this one would be no different.

Gritting his teeth he pried open a corner of the metal where he knew it was weak then reached into his pocket for his wire cutters. This was going to be a snap.

--

He had made a brief stop there in the Clone Wars so Etti IV was familiar to Anakin even if that familiarity wasn't comforting. Parts of it reminded him of parts of Mos Espa, conjuring up memories that he would prefer to forget.

Anakin took a moment to examine his surroundings, slouching against a wall and watching passers by with a casual glance. If the Viceroy was here there wouldn't be many who knew that, the price of the information he had paid to make him come here at all made that apparent enough. Yet Anakin knew there would be at least someone he could approach that had seen something, heard something, or knew something. There wasn't much else he could do apart from doorknocking.

With a confident swagger he entered one of the many cantinas lining the road. Somewhere he knew he would find his answers, all he had to do was to be ready when they came.

--

If the security system was easy, the lock on the only accessible window was another matter. He wasted precious time picking it, climbing gingerly through into the darkened room to come face to face with an idle Trade Federation battledroid.

"What the—" the boy had thought that these had all been deactivated at the end of the Clone Wars, so what was this one doing here?

Unfortunately for, his voice was enough to rouse it to activity.

"Intruder detected!" the droid droned. "Activating security system."

He ran to the window as it was rapidly closing, getting out in time and making for the gap in the fence he had cleared. Around him there was a loud siren blaring as the security system came back online. Searchlights were circling from the main house tracing large circles in the darkness.

Searching for _him_.

He started to run faster when he heard the sound of metallic footsteps behind. Had they seen him?

--

After a few hours in several cantinas Anakin had to call it quits, all he had heard was roughly where in the city the Viceroy was meant to be. This may have not been reliable information, but it was all he had. He set out in that direction.

He was almost there when he felt his danger sense kick in, it was something in the back alleys. Two people shouting, and something else he could sense: fear.

"You idiot boy!" shouted a loud hoarse voice through the dark. Then there was a gasp and a cry of pain, Anakin moved quickly towards the sounds.

"I thought it was safe," grunted a second voice. Obviously in pain yet there was still some defiance in the tone. "I rigged the security system, I was—"

"Walking around with your eyes closed?" interrupted the first voice, obviously older than the second.

By this time Anakin was at the end of the alley and he could see the two figures. One was taller and seemed to be the first speaker, the figure picked up the second speaker off the ground and rammed him against a wall. There was an involuntary cry of pain.

"I didn't mean anything!" he said, "Really!"

"Trust you to get the Espos onto us," said his aggressor. "I really should just leave you—"

But Anakin had seen enough, he decided to step in. Even after all that he had been through and seen, he still could not resist helping someone else who could not defend themselves. Call it a weakness, call it compassion or whatever other name was proposed. Perhaps it went back to the time when he was in that position, when he had been a slave on Tatooine and he knew what it meant to be on the losing side.

Anakin placed a firm hand on the taller figure's shoulder. "Don't you have someone else to bother?"

He stammered something to Anakin about minding his own business before Anakin repeated his question, this time with a firm Force-suggestion behind it. When he had gone he surveyed the second figure. It was a boy of no more than fifteen, eying Anakin warily.

"Why did you do that?" he asked.

Anakin shrugged. "I know what it's like to be beaten up."

"He's going to get it to me later," the boy said, his brown eyes boring into Anakin's face. "I blew our cover, the Espos are going to be all over here at any moment."

The Espos were the local name for Etti IV's security force, more in the pay of the Sector Authority and interested in the lot of their employers than in dealing out law and order. It was normally better not to get on the wrong side of them.

"Not if I can help it," he said.

"It was just that stupid battledroid—"the boy said, then realised he had said too much and stopped.

"Battledroid?" Anakin examined him curiously. "You mean like a Federation battledroid?"

"Yeah," he replied with a nod, still that distrust.

There weren't that many around who still kept Federation battledroids.

"Can you take me there?" Anakin asked.

"Like hell I will," the boy spat, "and why are you in a hurry to get yourself killed anyway?"

Anakin ignored this question. "Where then?"

The boy told him the address. "But I made so much racket in there that no one can break into that place now," he finished. "At least not tonight."

Unbidden, Obi-Wan's voice echoed through Anakin's head. _Didn't you always like impossible odds?_

"That doesn't matter," Anakin said shortly, he turned to go then stopped for a moment. "Hey kid, what's your name?"

"I'm no kid," he said indignantly, "and the name's Han Solo."


	2. Chapter 2

"Have you checked the perimeter?" asked Gunray.

"Twice," said the brown-suited security officer. "Several of my men are checking the surrounding area. We will find the intruder, Viceroy."

"You better," the Neimoidian spat, slamming the door and kicking a few battledroids into their positions.

He looked depreciatingly at the bare walls that surrounded him. When he had purchased this villa all those years ago, shortly before the fiasco that had been Naboo, but he had not been expecting to occupy it for an extended period of time, even if at all. Yet the Clone Wars as well as the demands of Sidious and that dratted Grievous had more than bankrupted the Trade Federation.

After Sidious gave the order to deactivate all the droids, Viceroy had fled Mustafar with several of his associates. Not to escape the long arm of the Republic, but his creditors that would be hounding him the moment he set foot on a civilised planet. This small villa in the outreaches of the galaxy with the limited number of droids inside was all he had left, and he did not know where he could run to after this.

But the intruder, could that be at all connected to it? Gunray knew that some of his creditors would not be above sending bounty hunters to dispose of him. Either that, or blow up the entire house with him inside, which was why he had a security system he could ill afford to have.

Or could the Republic be after him? Gunray was well aware of the fact that each of the other Separatist leaders had either been captured by Republic agents—Jedi or otherwise—or had foolishly taken their own lives. There of course had been the idiots like Dooku and Grievous who had gone down fighting at the end of the war, and of course Sidious whose death no one had yet been able to completely explain. There were even rumours floating about that the Sith Lord was not dead, that somewhere he was alive and plotting his revenge but the Viceroy ignored this; better a dead Sith Lord than a living one still able to plan and dissemble.

With a sigh Gunray returned to his chambers and turned off the lights. There were some things that were better off not thinking about.

--

Unlike the young Han Solo, Anakin knew from his experiences in the Clone Wars there were better ways to get into an impenetrable building. And as far as he knew, no building in the known galaxy had yet been made Jedi-proof, despite the many boasts of architects and engineers.

Rather than trying the fence or the front gate, Anakin approached the house from underground and followed his instincts to push up a metal grate and peer around him. He was in a cellar of some kind, yet that revealed nothing yet.

Carefully, without making a sound, he slipped out and crept towards the door. A few moments of waiting revealed that his entry had not been detected, and the sharp sound of metallic footsteps above indicated the battledroids were still on patrol upstairs.

Clearly, the Viceroy was not taking any chances. Anakin knew that he could get to him, but the droids might pose a problem on the way out.

He headed out the door and then waited at the foot of the stairs, when he heard the droids pass again he silently sprinted up and retreated behind a curtain just as another pair of battledroids went past. When they were gone Anakin let out the breath he had been holding, this may be trickier than he expected.

He thought quickly, where would the power be in a house like this? Clearly it wouldn't be outside as it could be easily tampered with and he had seen nothing in the basement he had just left. Anakin slipped out from behind the curtain and ducked into a side room, moving out of sight from the patrolling droids. He sought into the Force, trying to pin point a weak spot if there would be one at all.

Then he saw it, a wall panel like all the others along the bare wall. Yet when he pressed the upper right corner it clicked out. Anakin ducked behind the drapes in case he had been heard, yet when it was clear that nothing was coming he opened the panel. It opened easily, though the door was thick and heavy. Behind it was a solid-looking safe.

Anakin stared at it angrily as if it was responsible for everything that could go wrong. He knew he could break this open without any of the droids knowing he was there, but that would take time he didn't have. He needed to be out of the house with the Viceroy before anyone worked out what had happened.

Then his hand brushed something strange on the door to the panel. Anakin extended it to the full, for some reason it had been heavy…

With a smile Anakin saw what he was looking for, before him was an orderly row of dials and gauges that gave him readouts of the power to the villa. There were even several switches that helpfully said 'Droid Control'. Anakin flipped them all and waited for something to happen.

--

Nute Gunray was sound asleep and the door to his chamber was thick and solid. So he heard nothing of the droids starting to jitter where they stood and heard even less when they fell on the floor.

Not even the security system detected anything, as it was concentrated on the exterior of the villa and more focused on lifeforms to avoid the battledroids tripping off the system.

--

For several minutes there was silence in the house, silence not even marred by the measured steps of droids. Anakin took it that the droids were out of his way and he could now focus his attention on the Viceroy.

The Viceroy's chamber was in the very centre of the villa guarded by a thick durasteel door. Anakin glared at it, could he cut through the metal with his lightsaber without waking the Viceroy? He didn't think so and hit the handle in frustration.

To his immense surprise the door swung open. _How typical_, Anakin said to himself, _so dependent on his droids that he forgets what happens when they don't work_.

Quickly, he entered the room, quickly checking for any signs of hidden weapons. Nothing, so with a triumphant smile he ignited his lightsaber and circled the blue blade over the Viceroy's bed. As the Neimoidian's red eyes opened in astonishment they stared at the blue blade and then up at Anakin.

"But what?…How?…" stammered Gunray.

Anakin shrugged as if it were a matter of course. "You're under arrest."

--

It was nearing the end of the night, and Garris Shrike had them all on board the _Trader's Luck_ standing in a line to see what the children had. Shrike inspected each of them in turn, giving nothing more than a nod of approval from the night's work. Last of all in line was Han Solo, with a depreciating glance he asked the boy if he had anything.

With a complete expressionless face, Han handed over an expensive-looking comm unit he had swiped from a house after giving the stranger directions to Viceroy Gunray's place. For a moment Shrike was impressed, then a crack in the unit's housing caught his eye. With a thin vibroshif Shrike opened the slit and peeled away a thin cover to reveal something else. Something else much less valuable.

"You see this?" he demanded. "It's a forgery, stuff to make it look like something it's not."

"It's pretty convincing…" Han said but this was clearly the wrong thing to say.

"Of course it is!" Shrike spat. "It's designed to fool the clients of idiot dealers as well as the likes of you, Solo." He let the comm unit fall from his grasp, it was no surprise when it split into pieces on the floor.

Han watched it for a moment, remembering how he had escaped before with the help of that stranger. Shrike grabbed the boy's collar and dragged him forward.

"Now listen, we're leaving this dump in four hours," he growled, shaking Han like a dead fish and then pushing him back. "You come back here with something worthwhile and I _might_ consider taking you along."

Han ignored this threat, more than once it had been thrown in his face and he knew that he was too valuable to Shrike for it ever to be followed through. Still, that didn't stop him wanting to leave this outfit. That urge had been stronger ever since the Wookiee Dewlanna had died three years ago protecting Han and the children from blaster fire during their escape from the attack on Yag'Dhul.

Shrike's hands closed over Han's throat. "Understand?"

"Yeah," Han said casually, not caring the least how Shrike reacted. The moment Shrike let go he was out of the ship but in no hurry, he knew they would wait and he cared little for that fact.

--

It was the constant threat that the Jedi would kill him that made Nute Gunray do as he was told. This was all under protest, he had been more than familiar of Anakin Skywalker ever since Naboo when he had penetrated the Trade Federation's defences in a starfighter at the age of nine.

Yet now he felt dishevelled and inadequate, mainly because the Jedi had refused to let him change into his customary clothing that indicated his status. Instead of the large headdress and coloured jewellery, he wore only a plain cloak over his night time attire and could have passed for any old Neimoidian which was what Anakin's intention had been. Gunray _could not_ be seen leaving Etti IV.

"Hurry up!" Anakin barked as he was marched through his house to the hangar where he kept a small airspeeder. Gunray started to get into the back passenger compartment. "No!" The Jedi forcibly pushed him into the front passenger seat and cuffed him to the door.

"You don't trust me?" asked the Viceroy in a small voice.

"Not in the least," Anakin growled, starting the airspeeder and making off at a rocketing pace.

Yet near the spaceport he saw something that disturbed him: brown uniforms. The Espos were questioning everyone who was going in or out, and there were far too many for even Anakin to con his way through with the Force.

He glared at the Viceroy. "Did you do this?"

Gunray stared at him blankly for a moment. "Did I do…? No, of course not!…What are you talking about?"

Anakin ignored him, he was going to have to play this carefully.

He set the speeder down some distance from the spaceport, forcing the Viceroy out and applying a pair of stun cuffs beneath the Neimoidian's cloak.

"If you try anything it'll be the last thing you'll ever do," he warned.

"You're not armed at the moment," Gunray scoffed.

Anakin scowled at him. "I don't _need_ to be armed!" he snarled. "I can break your neck with barely a movement or close your windpipe, would you like to try it?"

Gunray paled and stammered that there was no need, he understood perfectly.

As they approached the spaceport they were stopped by a security officer, Anakin tried to act nonchalant as if it were nothing more than a hindrance but his heart was pounding inside his ears.

"We really have to get going," he told the Espo nodding to Gunray, "he's in a bit of a hurry."

"I'm sure he is," the security officer drawled, "but it'll take even more time if you don't show me your identification."

Anakin decided it was now or never, he reached into the Force and made a subtle gesture with his hand. "You don't need to see my identification."

The man's eyes grew round with the Force-suggestion. "I don't need to see your—"

"Hey you!" Anakin's head whipped around as another security officer walked towards him. "You the owner of the _Satyr_?"

"Yes," said Anakin tightly, giving the impression that he would rather be on his way, "I hope nothing's happened to _my_ ship."

"Not yet," said the Espo, "you have to check in at the port authority, there's something wrong and your ship's been impounded."

"What?" Anakin glared at him. "I haven't done anything!"

The security officer smiled smugly. "You tell that to them at the port authority," he replied.

Anakin sighed; he had no intention of going there. That would complicate things further and he didn't want that. Sooner or later Gunray's absence would be known and every Espo in the city would be looking for him. By that time Anakin knew he had to be well away from the place, preferably on the way back to Coruscant.

He turned to Gunray and forcibly made his voice cordial. "I'll sort out this little matter once you're settled on board," he told the Neimoidian. _Preferably somewhere in the hold_, Anakin added in thought.

There were no protests as he made his way inside with the Viceroy. Despite the impoundment of his ship, Anakin made it to the docking bay where he saw from the doorway one of the portmaster's deputies applying the impoundment lock to the blast dome.

Anakin swore, there was no way he could rig that quickly without setting off the alarm.

"Out of luck?" asked Gunray, Anakin gave him such a freezing look that the Neimoidian lapsed into silence.

"Want some help?" asked a familiar voice.

Anakin turned to see the young Han Solo slouching against the wall behind them. There was a certain casualness and confidence that reminded Anakin of, well, himself actually. Yet he knew well what such an attitude could hide.

The Jedi eyed him suspiciously.

"Somehow I don't think you'd be offering help for free," Anakin said.

Han grinned. "You're right, I want out of this dump and was hoping you'd give me a ride."

"Keep hoping," Anakin growled.

"I know the way places like this work," Han said proudly, "I can get you out of here."

"Why should I trust you?" Anakin asked.

"Never said you should," Han returned with a sly smile.

Anakin smiled, he did have a point. "Fine," he reluctantly agreed, "get me out of here and you can come."

At a tremor in the Force Anakin flattened himself against the wall just as the deputy was emerging into the corridor. Han made a subtle gesture towards the approaching figure, in a flash Anakin understood. The Jedi approached the deputy directly, swinging Gunray around with his free hand so the two collided. While the deputy was busy apologising, Han was busy with his belt. When the deputy finally staggered away, he held in his hands the card key for the impoundment lock.

Anakin smiled. "Nice work," he told Han, obviously impressed.

Han shook his head. "There's still the port authority," he reminded him as they headed towards the _Satyr_, "it'll only take a minute." He disappeared out of the docking bay; Anakin gave a shrug and got Gunray on board then attended to the lock on the dome. He was inside powering up the ship when Solo appeared again, Anakin closed the hatch as Han ran into the cockpit.

"I got our clearance," Han said quickly, sitting beside Anakin in the co-pilot's seat.

"Clearance?" Anakin raised an eyebrow.

"Well, someone else's," Han confessed, he flashed Anakin a cocky grin. "I heard someone once on Ord Mantell telling the same story and I always wanted to try it."

Anakin rolled his eyes as he handed Han the headset and opened the comm unit to the port authority.

--

Clenth Haror of the Etti IV Port Authority stared dejectedly at the computer panel in front of him. In spite of the boasts of those he knew his job was boring to say the least. Get the transmission, check the ship's ID for clearance and then wave it on or call in the Espos, nothing more.

Such was the case—or so he thought—for the next ship to come into his scope.

"This is the _Black Prince_," came a crackle over the com unit. "We uh, had clearance to leave at 1700 but there's been a slight hitch and we need to leave now."

This too was normal, due to the nature of freighter captain's schedules as they could change any moment. Besides, the ship already had clearance anyway.

"You're clear to leave, _Black Prince_," said Clenth in a morose voice. "Clear skies."

"Thanks." The comm unit crackled to silence.

It wasn't until later that Clenth realised that it was in fact an impounded ship, the _Satyr_, that he had let go and that wasn't until another ship called the _Black Prince_ requested lift-off.

--

Yet their problems weren't over yet, orbiting at a rather close range was an Authority patrol ship.

Anakin swore. "If they spotted us—"

A menacing voice on the com unit ordering them to land indicated the ship's intentions.

While he was still unsure on who wanted them so badly and for what reason, Anakin wasn't about to wait around to find out.

"I'll have to try something fancy," he murmured, pulling the ship into a steep incline. "We're still too close to the planet to jump."

A sudden force that threw them both back in their seats changed their options completely.

Han stared at Anakin. "What the—"

"Tractor beam," Anakin told him, "we can still lose them, I know a few tricks. Get ready to launch our concussion missiles on my signal."

"But why—"

"Just do it!" Anakin said through clenched teeth.

When Solo said the missiles were ready Anakin added something else.

"You'll have to release the missiles the same moment I reverse our thrusters," Anakin told him, "we can get out of the pull, but it'll be tight."

"Don't worry," Han said, offering a smile.

For the first time Anakin felt he could trust him.

"Okay, stand by." Anakin had one hand over the thruster lever, the other steering the ship. "Now!"

--

The _Satyr_ went into full reverse and at the same instant two concussion missiles were launched from its belly. It took only a moment but these were soon taken by the tractor beam and they moved towards the ship, the _Satyr_ went into another steep dive and then into the safety of hyperspace.


	3. Chapter 3

Far removed from the grittiness of the Corporate Sector and the criminal elements it attracted, was Obi-Wan Kenobi. He was well aware that was where Anakin was as they had spoken a few days earlier. Yet even then he had felt a tinge of pain when he had spoken with his former Padawan learner. Anakin seemed…distant and had been for the better part of a standard year. While it was a marked improvement from what Anakin had been like in the months following Padmé's death, there still seemed to be something…missing.

Obi-Wan shook his head and dismissed his thoughts, sooner or later Anakin would report he had Viceroy Gunray and he would be returning to Coruscant. And while he hadn't told Anakin this, his stay was very likely to be a long one, given the nature Gunray's trial would prove to be.

Yet now, to the task at hand. While not perhaps as exhilarating or dangerous as what Anakin was probably doing, Obi-Wan considered it to be just as important or perhaps even more so. For several months now he had been teaching young Jedi initiates in swordplay, something that he took a private pleasure in seeing the skills of his initiates develop.

It was a consequence of the Clone Wars really, that and what Dooku and Nju had done in the Temple on that unforgettable night three years ago. As Yoda had said more than once, there were far too many problems and too few Jedi. There was even growing talk of being more lenient in accepting potential Jedi for training, either way something would have to be done as there was enough strain on the existing Jedi as there was.

Even so, Obi-Wan had been somewhat surprised when Yoda had first approached him with the offer of teaching the young initiates in swordplay. Obi-Wan was quick to point out how someone else would be better until the little Jedi Master reminded him that Obi-Wan was revered in his own right for his prowess with a lightsaber, particularly his mastery of Form III.

The full extent of this hadn't hit Obi-Wan fully until the first day of his teaching and a young Togruta walked up to him and asked if it was true that he killed General Grievous in the Clone Wars. When Obi-Wan confessed that this was true most of the other younglings had heard him and he was forced to spend a portion of his first lesson outlining the encounter on the _Invisible Hand_ and later on Utapau. And somehow, when he noticed how impressed they were with the story, he managed to incorporate the beginning of his instruction to them even though things hadn't gone exactly as he had planned.

Yet there had been some unexpected effects. There were times when he was constantly reminded of when he had first begun to train Anakin, particularly when some of the younglings just _wouldn't_ sit still. And more than once he caught himself repeating something that Qui-Gon or even Yoda had said to him and he had to force back the laughter.

There were also moments where he felt a certain satisfaction, somewhat akin to what he had felt when Anakin had passed his trials. Like the other day when the entire class was able to move through all the katas they knew in complete unison, and that was _without_ him standing to one side calling them all out by name.

They were starting to come in now, Obi-Wan greeted a few before he took up his position at the front of the room and sat cross-legged on the floor. When they had all arrived he would guide them through a short meditation before beginning the lesson, and then the day could begin properly.

--

"Don't you think it's a bit too soon to say that?" Bail Organa asked Mon Mothma.

The Chandrillan senator raised an eyebrow. "You're the one who started this whole thing Bail and _now_ you're holding back?"

Organa examined her for a long moment, she did have a point. It was a little over three years since the end of the Clone Wars, since then the Senate had formed a caretaker government headed by the former Vice-Chair and now Supreme Chancellor Mas Amedda. Bail had been reluctant to accept this at first, he had had suspicions that Amedda had long been in Palpatine's camp. However, as Danta Pela pointed out quite bluntly, someone had to do it or they would be arguing until who knew when.

Amedda's chief role as head of the caretaker government was to oversee the drafting of the new constitution which, after much bickering and factionalism, was now in its last stages. And when that was done, Mothma argued, Amedda's purpose of being Chancellor should cease and they should propose to elect a new one. But Bail wasn't so sure.

"I'm not holding back," Bail argued, eying Danta and hoping the Gungan would back him up. "But we have to admit that not even we could anticipate the changes that are taking place. We've succeeded in urging for a less centralised government, something I never thought would have happened so soon. The question is," Bail paused for a moment to find the right words, "is we have no indication that the new constitution will hold together. There's already dissent about some of the clauses and it may be a while yet before we finally see it approved."

"Yousa saying," Danta interjected, "that if thees not hold together then there are thosa who will break away."

Bail nodded. "Exactly," he agreed, "and we'll be right back where we were ten years ago, and we _all_ know what happened there."

Yet Mon Mothma was not convinced. Organa was not surprised, while she possessed the clearest head out of the three of them, she still did not understand certain political realities. There were some compromises you just had to make in order to get things done even if it was only on a temporary basis.

"I can see what you mean," Bail said after a long moment of silence, "but it's not really an option _yet_." He let the word hang in the air for a moment before he continued. "Amedda's not yet at the end of his term, and after what happened I don't think it's likely that the Senate will approve of extending his term without an election. We showed them what happens if that takes place." He paused again, remembering that morning in the Senate three years ago when Amedda had called them to order without Palpatine present and Bail had displayed the hologram for all to see. The hologram that had been sent to him from the Jedi Temple the previous night. At first there had been shouts and jeers until he stepped in to present the information he had been given only that morning, especially who had sent it and what had happened to them.

"All right, I understand now." Mon's voice dispersed his thoughts and brought him back to the present. "I still have my reservations though," she added as an afterthought.

"Don't we all," Bail agreed.

--

They were almost at Coruscant when Anakin decided to check on the Viceroy. Gunray was secure in the hold and Anakin had had to sedate him as the Neimoidian insisted on shouting at the top of his lungs and then thrashing about trying to get out of his restraints.

When he returned from the hold, Han Solo was leaning against one of the bulkheads, watching him curiously.

"How much are you getting for the Neimoidian?"

Anakin started at the question. "What?"

"Well, whoever wanted him is going to pay up big, I reckon," Han said with a lop-sided grin. "So really, how much are you getting for bringing him in alive?"

"I'm not getting paid," Anakin replied shortly, the thought had never even occurred to him. "I had to find him and bring him to the Capital so he could be tried."

"Tried?" Solo stared at him incredulously. "What kinda job is that?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well you're a bounty hunter, aren't you?" Han winked at him. "You find someone, you catch them and then you bring them to…wherever. And I never heard of a bounty hunter who didn't want to be paid."

"I'm no bounty hunter," Anakin said shortly, wanting the conversation to end then and there.

"But why else could you be having him in the hold?" Han persisted, following Anakin back into the cockpit. "What are you? A Jedi?"

"Yes." Anakin wanted no further conversation and wondered why he had brought the boy on the ship at all.

Han was silent, he stared at him open mouthed for a few moments. "You're…you're serious?" he managed to say at last.

More as an attempt to get him to shut up than make a sensation, Anakin proved his point with action rather than words. He flicked his hand at the pilot's chair, it span around quickly and then span back once he was inside it.

But Han wasn't impressed. "How do I know you just didn't rig the chair to do that?" He looked sceptically at Anakin. "Show me something _real_, like one of those light-sword things."

"I don't have to prove myself to you," Anakin snapped.

"But you do have one, don't you?" Han pressed. "One of those really long glow rods than hums and

can cut anything?"

"Shut up," Anakin said, wanting to be rid of him then and there. Fortunately they were emerging from hyperspace in a matter of seconds. "I'll have to leave you here," he explained to Han so as he knew where they stood. "You know what you're going to do once we get planetside?"

"Get somewhere where I can pilot until I have enough to go to the academy," Han replied promptly.

"Military?" Anakin asked disinterestedly.

Han looked as him as if he were stupid. "No, the Starfleet."

This caught Anakin by surprise. "Really?" This time he was genuinely interested.

"Yeah, they still want pilots I heard," Han replied, smiling smugly at himself.

"So you think you can fly then?" Anakin asked him.

"_Think_ I can fly?" Han stared at him as if he had been done serious injury. "Hey, I've been doing this since before I could _walk_, they'll be _jumping_ out of their skulls to get _me_."

Anakin smiled quietly. "Let's see then," he said.

"What?"

Anakin still wasn't sure why he was doing this; a moment ago he was ready to strangle Solo. "We'll be coming out of hyperspace in a moment," he told him. "Let's see you take her in."

"You mean it?" Han sounded doubtful.

"Wouldn't say it if I wasn't," Anakin replied, he glanced at the hyperspace counter. "Entering realspace in five," he said, "get ready to cut the sublights."

Han compiled and then Anakin let him take over the controls. He started slowly, gradually feeling his way and then moving more into the moment. It's a strange feeling when you suddenly realise that not only that someone's assertions about themselves are not only true, but that they understate what they actually are. Solo was a _natural_, watching him pilot the ship was something like seeing himself back at the controls of his podracer or in the midst of a space battle.

Yet he chose to say nothing, instead he fired up the com unit.

"This is the _Satyr_," he said to whoever happened to be monitoring that day, "I believe we have a Blue Code Clearance."

There was a pause and then the crackle of static. "Acknowledged, you are clear to land Jedi Skywalker."

"I'll take over from here," Anakin took the yoke without any further ceremony.

Han stared at him, his mouth agape with astonishment.

Anakin shrugged. "Well, you didn't believe me."

--

When he had got word that the _Satyr_ was coming in, Obi-Wan immediately went to the docking bay where it was expected. It wasn't in the Temple; it would get there later once the Republic shocktroopers who were with him took Viceroy Gunray. Even though there was no official confirmation, Obi-Wan knew that the Neimoidian would be on board. After all, Anakin didn't know how to fail.

His suspicions proved right when Anakin walked down the ramp with his prisoner in tow. In a way it was a familiar scene, Anakin returning to Coruscant with some fugitive and shortly thereafter setting off to find another one.

_Not this time_, Obi-Wan thought as he nodded to the troopers, _this time I'll be able to talk to him, but I don't know if he'll listen._

Coming after Anakin was someone else; a boy aged about fifteen that he did not recognise. Anakin had taken on a passenger? Yet should have expected anything else? The only time Anakin ever reached for the Jedi rule book was to throw it away.

Obi-Wan managed a smile as he greeted Anakin, but he noticed that it wasn't returned. There had been a time when Anakin would have greeted his former Master with some comment about how he was late, or that he hoped Obi-Wan had brought something to eat. But that belonged to an Anakin that no longer existed and sometimes Obi-Wan wondered if that person he had once known had died with Padmé. Anakin was still his friend, and the trust beyond all reason still existed between them. But it was different, made different by a loss Obi-Wan knew he probably could never completely understand.

He was clean shaven—he had shaved off the stubble on the way over so Obi-Wan couldn't comment on it—and in his Jedi attire even though they were significantly darker than Obi-Wan's clothing.

"You needed help, I see?" Obi-Wan nodded to the boy loitering behind Anakin.

"Oh, him," Anakin said as if it was of no consequence, he turned back for a moment, "this is Obi-Wan Kenobi," he introduced, "he's the Jedi to call if you want to get your boots shined."

A remark that was characteristic of Anakin, yet made with a complete deadpan that was not intended to be taken as humorous.

Obi-Wan ignored this as he shook hands.

"Han Solo," the boy said, "I…uh…helped him out a bit on Etti IV." He examined Obi-Wan for a long moment. "I…I think I've heard about you, sir."

Obi-Wan chuckled. "Well if it's come from Anakin, it's probably anything but good." He gave a nod to his former apprentice. "We have to get going, you're expected."

Anakin sighed. "I know, I know," he said in exasperation, he looked at Han. "Well, I hope it all goes well with you."

"Yeah," Han said, feeling a bit deflated. "Yeah thanks, and thanks for the ride out."

"Don't mention it," Anakin said, then without a backward glance he followed Obi-Wan into the waiting airspeeder and they were gone.

--

A special session of the Senate had been called and Bail Organa was running late. His speeder had been caught in air traffic and he arrived just as Dekau Fedan, the Ithorian Vice-Chair, was calling the chamber to order. Ithorians were equipped with four throats, and combined together they reached quite a volume.

"Did I miss anything?" he asked his aide Sheltray Retrac, fortunately she had arrived there before him.

"No, it's just starting," she said.

As for the reason for the special session, that was made apparent without further ceremony.

"I have been advised that Viceroy Nute Gunray has now been found and is being held in custody," Mas Amedda explained.

Bail was stunned for a moment; Gunray was the last of the Separatists to be rounded up. His trial would be no small event.

"Apparently he was hiding in the Corporate Sector, on Etti IV," the Chancellor continued.

There were murmurings for a moment before the Corellia box was put forward into the arena, quickly it was recognised. "Corellia respectfully asks the Corporate Sector why they did not inform this body that Viceroy Gunray was hiding there," decreed Garm Bel Iblis in a tone that warranted a challenge.

A challenge that was well met by Triev Stokra of the Corporate Sector. "The Corporate Sector respectfully informs Corellia that we would not hide such information if we knew it existed." There were shouts of dissent but Stokra continued. "And I ask the chair why Jedi were sent to our dominions without prior consent or even warning." More shouts this time, it was a sore issue with the Senate the role of the Jedi ever since the coalition formed by Kuat, Bothawui and many others including the Corporate Sector against the Jedi's constant interventionist role. They named themselves the Varicean Committee after Stokra's homeworld of Varicea in the Corporate Sector. And there were lines that they were not afraid of taking; Stokra had even gone public once and declared that Palpatine had been _murdered_.

Bail felt it was time to step in.

"Alderaan wishes to remind the senator from the Corporate Sector that we all as a body agreed that bringing the former Separatist leaders to justice was a high priority," Bail began, and when he heard shouts of support he continued. "Surely the fact that now this search is at an end must outweigh any petty grievances of not being informed prior to the event?"

It was rare, but there were some moments that Bail felt satisfied in his role as Senator for Alderaan and now was one of them. Not only had he shifted the focus back onto Gunray, as it should have been, but he had done so in a way to completely upstage Stokra. And not just upstage him, but discredit him as well.

Stokra, on the other hand, was willing to deal out blow for blow. "We are all aware of Alderaan's affiliations with the Jedi," he said in an acid voice. "Tell me, can it be excused if a Jedi evaded local judicial authority causing not only distress to our security but at the expense of others?" He winked at Organa, his red eyes gleamed triumphantly on his green-skinned face.

At this the Senate chamber erupted, Vice-Chair Dekau raised her voice—or rather voices—and silence once again reigned.

"Need I remind the senator from the Corporate Sector that the purpose of this session for the purpose of the news of the capture of Nute Gunray and the repercussions this will have," Amedda explained. "His trial will no doubt be an end to the aftermath of the war which we are still feeling. Hopefully," he said, eying Stokra and Organa in turn, "we can put aside such differences in lieu of the larger matter at hand."

Yet, when Bail caught Stokra's eye, he didn't feel as optimistic as the Chancellor.

--

"That's why we can't do anything yet," Bail explained to Mon Mothma as they walked through the forest of pillars after the session had finished. "Stokra's putting himself at the head of that coalition he formed along with Jetrivian and Tulil'ya and if there's an election he'll be among those nominated." Bail sighed. "And he certainly knows how to get support: by listening to fears and then responding to them.

"The last thing we need is another Palpatine," Mon Mothma agreed. She was thoughtful for a moment. "You know, that morning three years ago when you called me telling me you had something I thought everything would change."

"Everything did change," Bail pointed out, "it's just not every_one_ has changed with it."


	4. Chapter 4

In a role he was so accustomed to that he could do it with his eyes closed, Anakin gave his report to the Jedi Council. He focused his gaze on the floor, not wanting to look anywhere else.

To look at the make up of the Jedi Council now was to see first-hand on how the face of the Jedi Order had changed. The only remaining member that had been there since Anakin had began as Obi-Wan's Padawan learner was Master Yoda. For everyone else there had been replacements, unexplained disappearances and, most regrettably, deaths. Perhaps the one that was still most keenly felt was that of Mace Windu. Some still felt he died rather needlessly, but nonetheless his was a presence that could never be replaced.

There were new faces, of course, younger Jedi who had been elevated to the role of Jedi Master and Council member. Even Anakin had actually been again offered a seat, and with none of the sting in it as his first appointment had had. But Anakin had refused, and it was not humility on his part. He just didn't like the idea of constantly being cooped up in the Temple. Yet he had told no one this, not even Obi-Wan.

Anakin finished his report, staring at the floor to await the customary discussion, cross examination and then dismissal. And then another mission so he wouldn't have to stay on Coruscant.

"We have heard reports from the Corporate Sector that you were pursued by security officials," said Shaak Ti.

Anakin's gaze flickered from the Togruta Jedi Master and then to Obi-Wan who raised his eyebrows.

"Uh…yeah," Anakin said lamely. "The ship was…impounded," he explained, looking back at the floor when he noticed Obi-Wan's frown. "And when we left we were pursued by a patrol ship."

"You say _we_ as if there was more than one aboard," noted the Mon Calamarian Bant Eerin.

"There was," Anakin admitted, "but I would prefer not to go into that, it's not really related."

"I can vouch for this," Obi-Wan interjected.

Yet Yoda would not dismiss this lightly. "Raised concern this has in the minds of the senators as for our role to dispense peace and justice in the Republic," he murmured. "Prefer some would if less active role we took; this event make an example of they do."

There was a ripple of agreement through the room. Anakin permitted himself to look up; things were not going _that_ badly.

"Now that the Viceroy is in custody I request another mission," Anakin said.

He was surprised by the confused looks he was given by the Masters.

Yoda shook his head decidedly. "Needed on Coruscant you are for Gunray's trial," the Jedi Master decreed.

Anakin glanced at Obi-Wan but his expression was as set as Yoda's, there would be no help there.

"We are also concerned with how you keep requesting missions," said Bant, a rather kind voice yet Anakin met it with stony silence.

"Even if needed you were not here, refuse we would to send you," Yoda reiterated.

Anakin stared at him. "But I thought that you said that you needed Jedi in the field?"

"Need them we do not if feel we do that lost their way they have," Yoda told him. "Return to centre you must, important this is for you."

Anakin stared at him, a challenge on his lips. "But I don't want—" And then, without waiting to be dismissed, Anakin left the chamber. There was a pause and then everyone looked at Obi-Wan.

"I'll talk to him," he said, pushing open the door and following him out.

--

"Anakin!" Obi-Wan could see him turning the corner and not looking back. "Anakin, we need to talk."

"We don't _need_ to do anything, Obi-Wan," Anakin shouted back, not bothering to turn around. "I'm not your Padawan anymore; I don't have to listen to what you say."

"Just because you don't _have_ to doesn't mean you don't _need_ to," Obi-Wan replied, then changed his tone. It would benefit no one if they continued to shout at each other. He slowly walked up to where Anakin was standing, waiting for the lift. "Anakin please, how long is that we had a conversation that didn't involve you rushing off somewhere?"

Anakin paused, the numbers of the liftcar slowly counting up behind him, there was a soft beep and the door opened. He strode in, yet held the door open for Obi-Wan.

"Fine then," Anakin said, putting in what he perceived to be a heroic effort to endure anything the Council chose to throw at him. "Let's talk."

--

Ever since the time he had been Anakin's Master, Obi-Wan knew that there was no use actually _telling_ Anakin anything. For instance, if you told him _not_ to do something he would normally go to great lengths in order to do it as well as to avoid getting into trouble.

The only way Obi-Wan knew to get Anakin to see things from a point of view other than his own was to give him a good shove in the right direction. Hopefully, Anakin would fall over and realise the way had been going all along was just to prove to someone—whether it be Obi-Wan, Yoda or the entire Jedi Order—that he was right when he was usually far from it.

So Obi-Wan was really at loss how to proceed, there were time-worn Jedi axioms for such situations, but he knew that it was a waste of breath in repeating them to Anakin. Yet he also realised the cause of Anakin's problems: his inability to cope with Padmé's death. The only way to get to that subject, Obi-Wan knew, was to get Anakin to refer to it himself and that was unlikely as he had not even mentioned Padmé's name in more than a year.

What he needed was a third party, someone who could get around Anakin's defences in the same way that Padmé herself used to. Yet there was no one now or in the near future that could fill that role.

"What was that you talked about with that Corellian you came with?" Obi-Wan asked as they walked towards an outside balcony. "What was his name…Solo?"

Anakin heard this name without any reaction. "He said he wanted to get into the Starfleet Academy."

"And?" Obi-Wan knew there was more to this.

"I let him take the ship in," Anakin said in a tired voice.

"Was he any good?" Obi-Wan queried.

"Not bad," Anakin replied. This actually rated quite high on Anakin's scale of piloting.

"Hmm," Obi-Wan murmured as if the issue required deep consideration, yet Anakin had grown tired of this.

"What is it wanted to talk to me about?" Anakin asked him.

"About?" Obi-Wan repeated. "Anakin, this is not _about_ anything, we're just talking."

"And you're telling me Obi-Wan you didn't follow me after I left the Council _just_ to have this conversation?" Anakin demanded acidly.

Even though sometimes Anakin could miss the point completely, he frequently surprised Obi-Wan with being very astute. "All right," he admitted, "the Council—no," he hastily amended. "_I_ have concerns."

"Concerns?" Anakin looked at him carefully. "The last time you told me that _you_ had concerns it was about Palpatine." That was as close as he would come to referring to Padmé, yet they both knew what he meant.

"This isn't like that," Obi-Wan explained patiently.

"Then what is it like then?" Anakin's seemed to see right through him.

Obi-Wan paused for a moment, how could approach this?

"Why are you running?' Obi-Wan asked bluntly.

"Sorry?"

"You heard me." Obi-Wan folded his arms across his chest. "Just answer the question."

"I am _not_ running," Anakin said as if Obi-Wan had suddenly gone blind, stupid or both. "My feet are firmly planted _here_, at least for the time being anyway."

"And what happens when that's over?" Obi-Wan probed.

"I don't know, there'll be something else just ahead of me that I have to get to," Anakin replied, staring at the toes of his boots. "It's what I do, it's what I am. They give me the order, I go in and do what must be done and then I go and do something else." He looked up at Obi-Wan. "That's what they Jedi are, aren't we?"

Obi-Wan frowned. "If that's _all_ that Jedi are then the entire Order could be run by droids. What I am concerned about is not what you are running _to_, but what you are running _from_."

Anakin stared at him; in exasperation Obi-Wan forced him around and pointed to a tall building of blue-coloured transparasteel within sight of the Temple.

"Look, can you see that building?" he asked.

"Yes, I can see it," Anakin replied slowly, "it's a _building_." He almost added: _So what?_

"Now that particular structure is only three standard years old," Obi-Wan told him with a dry smile, studying it carefully. "Or at least parts of it are, since a large portion of it was destroyed in the Clone Wars."

Anakin was growing impatient of this already. "Your point is?"

Obi-Wan ignored him. "Yet it was re-built, over the old frame with new windows and durasteel as well as a whole lot of other things hadn't been there before." He folded his arms and looked at Anakin expectantly. "And that's not the only thing that's changed." He paused, hoping Anakin would catch on. "There are scars _all over_ the Republic, Anakin. Some wounds are so deep that you wonder _how_ they heal, but the fact is they _do_." He was thoughtful for a moment, his eyes distant, his voice soft. "Of course there are marks left as there are some experiences that never leave you, the memories stay but the pain _always_ goes." He looked up at Anakin. "Just because you think something's destroyed, doesn't meant you can't build something better."

Anakin's mind was whirling, what was Obi-Wan trying to say to him? "I don't…I don't understand."

Obi-Wan lightly touched his shoulder. "I can't give you any more of a hint than that."

And then he left, leaving Anakin staring at the distant building for a _long_ time.

--

That night the dreams came back, nut Anakin was in a place that he had never seen before. The heat was sweltering, yet it was a different kind of heat from that he had experienced on Tatooine. This was a blistering inferno, akin to being inside the core of an enormous reactor.

Around him he could see the explosions of what seemed to be a thousand volcanos, smoke and ash in the air and in the distance a river of lava snaking over the molten rocks.

Yet this was all secondary to Anakin, the heat and smoke and everything was merely just a backdrop for what was in front of him. It was Padmé, her eyes were shining with love but she was crying. He didn't know why, but he had a vague idea that it had something to do with him, about what he had done and she didn't like it.

"I don't know you anymore," she sobbed to him, tears falling onto the tan coloured tunic she wore. "Anakin, you're breaking my heart. I'll never stop loving you, but you are going down a path I can't follow."

It had always ached him to see her upset and normally Anakin would have done anything to stop her from crying. Yet for some reason he was angry at her, shouting her down and caring little for what she was saying.

"Liar!" he raged, sensing her in the Force and reaching out a hand.

"NO!" Padmé looked around; staring between Anakin and someone he couldn't see. She pleaded with him. "Anakin, I swear…I…"

Yet Anakin didn't want to listen to her, he could feel the Force within his grip as he brought around to close Padmé's windpipe. She brought her hands up to her throat, gasping for air and imploring him with her eyes.

"Let her go, Anakin!" shouted another voice, yet Anakin did not even turn to see whoever that was. "Let her go!"

This time Anakin did withhold his grip on Padmé, watching her crumpling to the floor. She did not stir. For a moment Anakin stood there, watching Padmé's prone form as if he was transfixed.

Then someone stepped out of the shadows and knelt on the ground to examine her, a curtain of smoke seemed to hang between them for a moment, then the smoke cleared and the figure looked up.

It was Obi-Wan.

_What have I done?_ Anakin thought in exasperation.

Obi-Wan turned but Anakin couldn't see him, the smoke had come up again and was invading his eyes and mouth. He brushed it away and the orange glow of the lava gave way to dim grey light. With a jolt he sat up in bed, his bare skin cold with sweat.

"I killed her," Anakin whispered, looking around to see if he was in some sort of cell, the walls were bare enough.

Yet the bare walls were that of his quarters at the Temple, Padmé had been dead three years by the hand of the Sith and not his own, and what had he had seen was only a dream. In a way it was a relief.

_But why do I feel like I'm responsible?_ Anakin wondered, the coolness against his skin settling his whirling thoughts. _Was it me and not Sidious who caused her death, because I was willing to believe him and not her?_

He stared at the wall for a moment, running over what he had seen in his mind. Was it a vision? Did it mean anything? He didn't know and wasn't sure if he could bring himself to mention it to Obi-Wan.

Suddenly he pulled his cloak over his shoulders and slipped his feet into his boots. There wasn't any way he was going to get any more sleep tonight.

--

Anakin wandered through the Temple without purpose, it was still in the early hours of the morning and soft lights on the walls suited his mood. He wasn't willing to examine things completely yet, he needed to contemplate in the shadows before he could understand what he had seen. And what he had felt.

Somehow he found himself in the Temple gardens, the cool wind moving his sweaty hair away from where it stuck to the back of his neck. He looked around for a moment; it was as good a place as any. He sat down on a hard stone bench, staring into space and dismissing all thoughts from his mind.

A flash of light made him look around, he almost smiled. In one of the flower beds were rows of lambent poppies, native to Naboo he believed. Several times a year, once in the early spring and again in the late summer, the buds of the flowers would open one night in a show of colour, light and perfume. It had taken quite some effort on the part of several Jedi for the display to occur on Coruscant, and even now they would only flower once a year as the seasons were synthetically stimulated on the city planet.

Anakin had seen it once before, he remembered when he was still a Padawan learner and Obi-Wan had taken him here one evening without any explanations. Together they had watched the flowers open, marvelled as the night wore on and the pollen exploded from the stamens before the blossom would illuminate with a brilliant flash of colour—and no two lambent poppies had the exactly same hue when they glowed.

At the gasps and sighs from another part of the garden, Anakin realised that he wasn't alone. Clustered around the flowerbed was a crowd of younglings with Yoda and several other Masters.

The show now seemed uninteresting to Anakin, yet he could not get out of the garden without going right past them. Anakin knew that children whispered about him in the Temple, one had even come up to Anakin and asked if it was true that he had killed a Sith Lord. Anakin had given the young Twi'lek boy such a glare his little blue knees were shaking when Anakin had gone.

"Ahhhh!" They sighed, the show was coming to its climax now. Eventually Anakin knew the flowers would fly off their stems, glittering in the air for a moment before floating to the ground. They would then take flowers as keepsakes yet the light would only last for a few hours. It had actually quite disturbed him when he had first seen it, for weeks the flowers would be in bud for only this single night of beauty and glory. The next day the flowers would only be brown petals on the garden paths, picked up and thrown away by one of the garden droids. He still could not watch it without a tinge of pain.

_How can something that beautiful die so quickly?_ He had asked Obi-Wan that at the time and Obi-Wan had gone into a long explanation of how everything dies: a Jedi must form no attachments and other things that Anakin had never bothered to listen to.

"Ooooh! Ahhhhh!" The end of the performance was nearing, the light growing brighter and scent growing stronger. He could see the light reflected off their faces; feel their pleasure rising in the Force.

Yet why did he continue to sit there? Surely there could be a way that he could sneak past without being noticed? But he didn't feel inclined to, and there was nothing wrong with waiting here in the shadows until it was over. They couldn't see him from where he was…

However, as the lights reached an almost blinding brightness, and as Anakin cast his eyes over the crowd of younglings watching, one of them saw him. A girl, she had dark hair caught up in a braid down the back of her head yet that was all he could see of her. For a moment they locked eyes, a feeling of stillness passed between them that eclipsed all other feelings, even the increasing noise of the crowd.

Then it was over, the last of the flowers were on the path and the children stooped to pick them up. Even the girl who had noticed him was lost in the sea of bowed heads, her presence one of many in the Force.

What had happened there? It was a sensation that he had felt before with others—Obi-Wan for example—yet from someone he had never even _seen_ before? It didn't make sense.

"Jedi Skywalker?"

Anakin jumped at the voice, looking around and saw that it was the dark haired girl that had caught his attention. Yet it did not surprise him that she knew his name, practically everyone did.

He didn't catch her eye this time, looking past her and waiting to hear why she had come to speak to him. She then stepped into his line of vision, her large dark eyes widening. Reflected in her pupils was his own face: himself as she saw him.

"Why are you so sad?"

The question was enough to stop Anakin's thoughts in their tracks. He looked at her—_really_ looked at her—with a confused expression.

Yet he didn't answer and she didn't speak either. Then from the small posy she held, she gave him a flower; their fingers touched for a moment and a sensation went up Anakin's arm akin to an electric current.

Anakin stared at the flower and then at her. "But why—"

"Sona?" The girl's head whipped around in response to the call. It was one of the Masters leading the rather tired children inside. "Sona, it's time to go."

"Coming Master Sarib," she said, obediently following the female Rodian out of the garden.

Yet in the doorway she paused, staring at Anakin for a long moment. Anakin watched her, watched her watching him before she went inside.

_What is going on?_ thought Anakin in exasperation, not liking what was happening one bit.


	5. Chapter 5

At a tapcafe on the lower end of Vos Gesal street in the entertainment, or Uscru District, of Coruscant, Shinai Stel-Ardak met his contact. He sat in a booth at the back, his eyeless visage hidden by a pair of reflecting goggles. Yet Shinai wore them not for any aesthetic reasons, he just didn't want to be noticed and even on Coruscant seeing a Malalukan like himself was apt to stay in a few memories. 

It had been five years since he had been on the Capital world. Five years since the wound and fall on Avingnon that had almost meant his death. And would have been his death if it were not for the selfless actions of the woman who now called herself his wife. Martreyea Kittern. She had risked much treating him, had lost her job in the field hospital in the process. Martreyea was more than his wife, she was the mother of his son Arrin, and it was for their sake that Shinai had not revealed to the Jedi Order that he had in fact survived.

Shinai's his return to Coruscant was strictly business. Ever since Shinai had taken on 'jobs' that were within his capabilities. He still had his lightsaber, more out of consequence than anything. He still used the Force, but more out of habit than choice. Yet he no longer considered himself a Jedi, and he was generally known as a bounty hunter, or perhaps a mercenary or Jedi-for-hire.

Yet Shinai no longer considered the motives or ideas behind what he did. He merely did what needed to be done and got paid for his work which meant he could support his family. It was the pleas of Martreyea that had made him take on this job, and he had left her with his son in their cramped apartment while he negotiated with the contact.

Shinai knew his contact, he recognised him when he entered the room yet he had no idea who he represented. He was a Zabrak, his black hair was cut short about his ears and one of his cranial horns was missing. Shinai still did not know his name but that was unimportant, if the Zabrak wished to remain unnamed that was his business.

"You were not followed?" the Zabrak asked, sinking into the booth opposite Shinai.

"Of course not," Shinai spat.

The arrival of the waiter droid prohibited conversation for several minutes, when the droid returned with their drinks the Zabrak spoke again.

"I have here your target," the Zabrak said, leaving his Correllian ale untouched. "He's a senator."

"That won't be easy," Shinai told him, dipping his finger in the blue liquid of his drink.

"My employer understands that," the Zabrak replied. "He is willing to pay half now and half later."

"How much?" Shinai asked. 

The Zabrak named an amount, Shinai considered it for a moment.

"Your employer must be very keen to get my services," he said at last.

"He has heard of your exploits, and is willing to pay for the privilege of you working for him," the Zabrak explained.

Shinai considered the offer for a moment longer.

"You have a deal," he said finally. "I need the information on the target."

The Zabrak slipped a datacard across the table. "My employer insists that I tell you that this is not a kill or capture."

Shinai stared at him. "So what does he want me to do then?"

"All you need is to scare the senator," the Zabrak replied. "Kill a few of the guards if you have to but the senator must remain alive, only then will you get the remainder of your fee."

"I understand." Shinai stood up and placed the datacard in his pocket. "And my pay now?"

"It will be transferred into your account," the Zabrak said, picking up his drink. "Unless there is a change, I will not be seeing you again. Everything else you need to know is on there."

Shinai didn't reply as he left the tapcaf.

-- 

Master Kenobi was late, yet those in his class seemed not to worry. Sooner or later the Jedi Master would be along and the lesson would begin. For now they sat on the padded floor and talked amongst themselves.

The display of the lambent poppies had been several nights ago, yet it was still a worn topic of conversation, especially given Master Yoda's lecture on the morning following the event. Yet while she joined in the discussion with her friends, Sona Cantari had something else in her mind as well: Anakin Skywalker. The Jedi who had caught her eye during the show which was why she had spoken to him afterwards. She knew his name, almost everyone did. He was known also as 'the Chosen One', though she didn't know what that meant.

"I thought it was sad how there was no one else there but us," said Sona's friend Jenai Yana, she was a gold-skinned humanoid with eyes of a bright purple.

"Master Yoda said that quite a lot of Jedi had already seen it," pointed out Drell Ven, a young Togruta. "There should really be no surprise."

There was a murmur of agreement yet Sona felt she just _had _to protest.

"There was someone else there," she said, she had spoken very quietly yet they all turned to look at her.

"Who?" Jenai asked. "I didn't see anyone."

"I did," Sona replied, wishing she hadn't spoken. "It was Jedi Skywalker, he was hiding."

"Hiding?" Drell stared at her. "Why would he need to hide for? Do you think it's true he killed a Sith Lord?"

"I don't know," Jenai confessed, "perhaps we should ask Master Kenobi, he ought to know."

"Sorry I am late," Obi-Wan's voice floated into the room as he entered, the class rose and bowed to him. He waved them to sit on the floor and he did the same. "No time for anything else today," he said, "we'll get started. Who wants to lead?"

Sona crossed her legs and closed her eyes, stilling her mind to let the Force fill her. Yet she would not forget the name Anakin Skywalker.

--

A droid on a mission, R2-D2 trundled through the Jedi Temple, his dome rotating as he inspected each room in turn. Finally he stopped in the map room, tottering slowly up to a figure seated on the floor and whined softly.

Anakin opened his eyes, even though Danta Pela had given him the astromech droid he avoided Artoo as much as he avoided Threepio.

"What is it Artoo?" he asked impatiently.

The little droid gave a low moan, moved into Anakin's line of vision and rotated his dome.

Anakin sighed. "What do you want?" he demanded. "You know I can't really understand you unless Threepio is here."

Artoo made a soft whistle and then his holoprojector started to glow. On the floor he started to project a figure in a long white dress, her hair hidden by a hood.

Anakin paled. It looked like…it had to be….it was…

"Anakin, Obi-Wan sent this message to me from Geonosis," the hologram said. "I thought you might want to take a look at it."

A soft female voice…her dark eyes peering from beneath the hood…she was so close…he could almost touch…

"TURN IT OFF!" Anakin screamed, running from the room in a temper.

He kept running until he was at one of the outside balconies, ignoring the questioning stares of those he passed. He collapsed on the floor, pressing his hands against the cold tiles, screwing up his face so the tears wouldn't come. Yet come they did.

Why had Artoo shown him that message? Why had Artoo even kept the recording? A part of him wanted to find the little droid and erase it from his databanks then and there. Maybe, with that small act he could erase some of the pain that still radiated through his body.

But he knew he couldn't, for committing that message to oblivion would erase also all that was left of Padmé. The same reason why he still held onto the pain years after the event, he couldn't let it go as he feared if he did he would forget Padmé and he could never, ever allow himself to forget her.

He paused, surprised at his thoughts. _Is that really the reason?_ He considered it for a moment longer. Could he bring himself to put aside his pain? Let Padmé go? He knew that as a Jedi he had to accept change as it came, he had done so grudgingly in the past but he considered this to be different.

_Is it?_ Anakin wondered if he had been right about this.

"Jedi Skywalker?"

A soft voice made Anakin turn his head. There was a crowd of small children gathered behind him, most of them look scared. Yet the one in front, a girl with dark eyes and her hair in a long braid did not. It was she who had spoken.

Suddenly he realised he was still lying on the floor; Anakin got to his feet and dusted himself off.

"Yes," he said absently, avoiding the girl's penetrating gaze. Where had he seen her before? "I am fine, thanks," he told her. "Fine," he repeated, yet he did not know what for.

"Move along now, nothing to see here," said another voice, it was Obi-Wan. "Anakin, is there anything wrong?"

Anakin didn't answer, avoiding Obi-Wan's eye he watched the children go. The one who had spoken looked back at him and he remembered where he had seen her, the other night in the garden. What was her name? Sona, wasn't it?

"Anakin?" Obi-Wan's voice interrupted his thoughts, he still didn't answer. Down the corridor, a chrono struck the hour. "Come on," he said, taking Anakin firmly by the arm and pulling him along. "We'll get something to eat, and you can decide if you want to tell me why you look like something gundarks messed with."

For once Anakin didn't protest, he simply allowed Obi-Wan to lead him.

-- 

But whatever had been on Anakin's mind, he had not revealed it to Obi-Wan. All he had learned that it somehow involved R2-D2, but Obi-Wan had not pressed him. He had merely said to Anakin that if he decided to tell him what had happened that he would be willing to listen. Anakin then made his excuses and Obi-Wan went off to the Jedi Council chamber.

In the turbolift up he met Bant Eerin.

"I heard Anakin was quite upset this morning," the Mon Calamari said. 

Obi-Wan stared at her. "You did? But how could you know?" 

Bant laughed. "How could I not know, Obi-Wan? He ran so fast past me that he almost knocked me over! I hope you can tell me what it was about."

"I am afraid I can't," Obi-Wan admitted.

"So you're saying you don't know?" Bant teased.

"Of course I know," Obi-Wan replied impatiently. "But I don't know what happened in that case."

He was silent, Bant's orange flipper gently touched Obi-Wan's arm. 

"Sometimes," he said with a sigh as the doors opened, "I just don't know _what _to do with him."

--

Obi-Wan gave his report the Council on the meeting with Senator Stokra, if meeting was the word to use to describe the encounter. Yoda listened to the report without expression, yet when Obi-Wan had finished his face screwed up as if he had eaten something horrid.

"Cowardly this Senator Stokra is," he murmured, "plot in the shadows he does yet meet us directly he will not."

"I think that if Anakin had not been with me he may not have seen us at all," Obi-Wan added.  
Shaak Ti shook her head decidedly. "He knows that we cannot confront him, and our options are limited for any action that needs to be taken." 

Yet Yoda seemed not to agree with this. "Spoken I have with Chancellor Amedda," he said, smiling softly. "Suggested he has a way for the Jedi to be seen doing good for the Republic."

"In what way?" Saesee Tiin asked.

"Concerns it does the trial of Viceroy Gunray," Yoda explained.

Obi-Wan looked confused. "But I thought that it was in the best interests of the Jedi not to intervene with this."

"Interesting you ask, Obi-Wan," Yoda observed dryly. "Asked for _you _he has."

Obi-Wan blinked. _Me?_


	6. Chapter 6

"Article ten, clause seventeen," Bail said, he looked up from the document reader at those gathered in the room. When no one spoke he continued. "The vote is split down the middle for this to remain _in_, yet there is no way, at least in my opinion, that this can be left _out_." 

There was silence again, Bail examined everyone in turn yet no eye contact was made. Before him was the current draft of the new constitution, a document that had been disputed over much longer than was necessary. Fortunately the bulk had now been decided; there remained some parts that were quite contentious with certain factions in the Senate and the one that he was referring to involved the role of the Jedi. It specifically gave them the prerogative to act for the sake of democracy if the Republic went the same way as it had almost done with Palpatine.

Bail was the public face for keeping it in, and he had a large amount of support and not just from the Senate. The memory Padmé Naberrie's sacrifice was still fresh in his mind and he knew it was something he had to keep alive. 

Yet it was no surprise that the opposition was led by Triev Stokra of the Corporate Sector and the Varicean Committee. His main argument—and he had a lot of them—was that the Jedi would have too much power that could not be reined in by the Senate.

"Do you suppose the Jedi themselves could comment on this?" asked Giddean Danu.

Mon Mothma shook her head. "I thought of that myself but I have been informed by the Jedi Council that they will not make a statement publicly unless absolutely necessary." 

"Theesa makes sense," agreed Danta, "but its not reflect good on wesa."

"Yet Stokra's contentions remain," concluded Bail pessimistically. "And he's not the only one, there are other worlds who specifically blame the Jedi for destruction in the Clone Wars. Our case may have moral authority, yet it's not as nearly as solid as Stokra."

At this auspicious moment Sheltray Retrac, Organa's aide, entered. "Excuse me Your Highness, Senators," she said in a hushed voice, "but there may be something of interest to you all on the HoloNet." 

Frowning slightly, Bail activated the holoprojector inbuilt to the low table they were all sitting around. Yet when the hologram became clear he understood why his aide had interrupted the meeting. 

It was Stokra.

--

The green-skinned humanoid wore a cloak of an incandescent blue shade that flowed over his shoulders in voluminous folds. His red eyes glinted dangerously below his black hair, his mouth was set in a firm line.

Out of sight, a HoloNet News reporter posed a question.

"Senator Stokra, some would say that your inclination against the Jedi is very much a personal view, what would you say to them?"

"Some would take that as a personal insult," Stokra replied coolly, "but little do they know that my views represent a large proportion of views held by many citizens of the Republic, those that say that the Jedi Order has overstepped their bounds."

"Yet was not their intervention justified three years ago against Palpatine? Even you said at the time that the actions of the Jedi prevented a very different system from being implemented for the Galaxy as a whole. Why do you no longer stand by those assertions?"

"Firstly, the ousting of former Chancellor Palpatine—and I will use that word, thank you," he added as an aside, "can be said to be at the instigation of certain disgruntled senators. Clearly some of my noble colleagues are not above using the Jedi to eliminate political enemies. As for your second question…" He paused for a moment, stroking his thin moustache. "While I do not detract what I said then, we must compare the measures that Palpatine was employing during the Clone Wars against what we are facing now. During the last years of the Clone Wars, we sacrificed many freedoms for the reasons of justice and security, some may say these sacrifices were unnecessary."

"What would you tell to those who say that?"

"I would ask them to recall the Naboo crisis," Stokra replied icily, "and remember how paralysed the Senate was with debate to prevent them from acting when direct action was what was needed."

"Thank you Senator for your time, your comments are—"

With barely a gesture Yoda flicked off the holoprojector, he was silent and closed his eyes as the members of the Jedi Council contemplated what had taken place.

"Troubling this is," the Jedi Master murmured, opening his eyes slowly, "yet act we dare not, tied our hands are until finished this new constitution is."

"The worst thing about Stokra is that so many believe him," Obi-Wan remarked.

"There's nothing worse than the truth out of the mouth of a liar," Nat Sem agreed. 

"But there must be something we _can _do," Bant Eerin protested. "We could talk to Chancellor Amedda."

"And do what?" asked Shaak Ti. "It's not as if he can rein Stokra in, it is true that his views represent a great deal of others and not just in the Senate."

Obi-Wan was silent, it was like when they had been searching for Sidious at the end of the Clone Wars. _No_, Obi-Wan realised with a flash, _It's worse. Back then we knew our enemy, he may have been elusive but all we had to do was eliminate him._

"Perhaps we _should _talk to Stokra," he suggested finally, at loss for anything else to do. "Then we can at least say we tried to placate him."

"Hmmm," Yoda murmured, he was not really listening. "Direct action he spoke of," he said, his eyes caught Obi-Wan's. "Approach him we must," he decided, "for if restrict us he wants, understand what that means he should."

--

The office of Supreme Chancellor Amedda was not the same one as his predecessor. Palpatine's office had been closed off after it was decided it was better off _not _to remove the remains of his last stand. There had been something…_sinister_…about the place that even Amedda could detect.

Amedda knew that he held the position of Chancellor only temporarily and his office clearly showed he had no illusions about this. The furniture was decorative yet understated, designed for comfort yet without the remarked austerity that Palpatine's office had had.

"I know you're worried," Amedda said to the senators gathered before him, "I have concerns myself and Stokra is not the least of them. The problem is that most of what he says is true," the Chagrian pointed out, "that this Varicean Committee represents a significant number of systems in the Senate."

The Chancellor's voice sounded painfully laboured as he pronounced the words of Stokra's group and Bail Organa knew why. Stokra had formed his group midway through the war after the failed settlement at Avingnon and at the time Bail remembered thinking that it was rather odd that the committee was named after Stokra's home planet and not after what the committee's aims were.

Perhaps this was intentional, as the aims of the Varicean Committee went hand-in-glove to the aims of Stokra himself. And what was worrying was not only the numbers, but the fact that the Varicean's members had held a lot of sway under Palpatine and this still seemed to be the case. Not just the Corporate Sector, Kuat and Bothawui yet they were the figureheads but also Roona, Malastare, Corulag and quite a few other Mid-Rim worlds as well as some in the Outer-Rim.

"We will keep on fighting for this issue," Bail said, meeting the gaze of Mon Mothma, Danta and the other Loyalists who had immediately accompanied him to the Chancellor's office when the HoloCast was over. And they were not the only ones, Amedda's aide had a long waiting list of those who had requested an audience. "The Jedi have always stood beside the Republic, many gave their lives in the war. Doing anything less for them would be a disservice."

"And this will only further delay the finalisation of the new constitution," Mon Mothma interjected. "Chancellor, we have debated on this far too long than it is worth."  
"I agree," Amedda says, "yet if I was to influence this we lose either way. I feel inclined to push this through, highlighting the need for the neutrality of the Jedi and their role must continue unhindered. Yet if I do…"

He need not have finished the statement; they all knew what would happen. Stokra and his supporters would break away, as would quite a few other systems whose support of the issue was divided. _And once again, Bail concluded mournfully, we would have[i civil war, and we're still picking up the pieces from the_ last one.[/i

Yet he was not going to give up, he still had one card to play.

"Perhaps we can expose just how transparent Stokra's argument is," Bail suggested. "If we can show exactly why the Jedi need to act, and act quickly, Stokra and his faction will have less credibility."

--

He had resisted at first, yet in the end Obi-Wan had given in to the Council asking him to speak with Senator Stokra. He was famed for his negotiation skills, Bant had pointed out, and sending Obi-Wan against Stokra was like sending a big gun to the front line of a battle. 

While he had not agreed with the expression, Obi-Wan admitted that they did have a point.

Yet why was he taking along Anakin with him? He knew Anakin hated things like this, seeing politicians and trying to sort out the whys and wherefores of political intrigue was perhaps one of the last things he'd consider doing without having to. More than once in the past his offhand comments had been an embarrassment, and Obi-Wan had to manoeuvre carefully to prevent a diplomatic incident.  
_  
Perhaps that's why I have these skills_, Obi-Wan surmised as he and Anakin left the airspeeder on the platform near Stokra's apartment, _I had to cover our own backs when Anakin kept messing things up._

But he also knew that Anakin was aching for something to do while he was waiting for Gunray's trial to begin. It would keep his mind off things, Obi-Wan had decided, and perhaps it would also show him the larger picture that was unfolding.

"So what are we doing here?" Anakin asked for the third time.

"Stokra made some…allegations against the Jedi," Obi-Wan told him, his voice showing no trace of annoyance. "We need to make him fully aware of what he was proposing."

"And what did he say?" Anakin persisted.

Obi-Wan let out a low sigh. "That the Jedi have overstepped their bounds and need to be brought more under the jurisdiction of the Senate," he said. "And…other things." 

He would not go into what these 'other things' were, such as how the killing of Sidious was a Jedi coup under the orders of the Loyalist committee.

Stokra's aide, a red-skinned female Twi'lek in a low-cut backless gown, eyed the Jedis' approach with some suspicion. Her demeanour was cordial, yet under protest. 

"Greetings Master Jedi," she said, smiling and showing her pointed white teeth. "Do you have an appointment with Senator Stokra?"

"No, we don't," Obi-Wan replied, he had told Anakin earlier that he would do all the talking. "Yet if you tell the senator we are here, he will no doubt want to see us."

"The senator is very busy this afternoon," the Twi'lek said in a cool voice, eying Anakin and winking at him. "If you will be so kind I can tell him you wish to see him and arrange a time when Senator Stokra can speak to you."

Obi-Wan frowned; this wasn't what he was expecting. "We have come at the request of the Jedi Council regarding the senator's statements on the HoloNet this morning," he explained.

"I am sorry, but Senator Stokra has appointments for most of the afternoon and the next day as well," she reassured, yet her tone was getting strained. "Perhaps if you had contacted his office earlier something else could be arranged but—"

With a slapping motion, Anakin brought his hand down on the desk making the receptionist jump back. "Tell him that one of the Jedi who want to see him is the one evaded the Corporate Authority security forces on Etti IV."

She raised her eyebrows, muttered several curse words under her breath yet relayed what Anakin said to Stokra's office. No doubt she was familiar with what had happened there or she would not have compiled so readily. When she got a reply she looked at the Jedi in surprise.

"He says you can go right in," she told them, "he has a few minutes to see you."

"Thank you," Obi-Wan said, giving the confused Twi'lek a broad smile as he and Anakin passed her.

-- 

"Remember why we are here, Anakin," Obi-Wan murmured as Stokra's guards opened the heavy door. Obi-Wan knew they were starting off on the wrong foot given Stokra's recent comments in the Senate, but they had managed to get in.

The green skinned senator wore a long sleeved robe of a deep vermillion; he was seated at a large black desk with documents and holocrons around him. He looked over a data readout he was viewing at the approaching Jedi. 

"Skywalker," he said icily, locking eyes with Anakin, "perhaps I should have expected this visit."  
Anakin merely bowed his head as Obi-Wan did, given the circumstances this was probably the best thing he could have done.

Yet Stokra seemed unnerved by this, he put down the readout. "I don't believe we've met," he said to Obi-Wan. "Kenobi, isn't it? I guess this is about my comments on the HoloNet this morning?" He arched a black eyebrow. "I still stand by my statements, so if you think you can convince me otherwise you're wasting your time."

"It would be a mistake if I assumed I could outwit a politician at his own game," Obi-Wan replied cordially, taking at seat in front of the desk and motioning Anakin to do the same. "My only question is that if you realised the full extent of what you were saying." 

Stokra's eyes narrowed. "Sorry?"

"It seems curious that while you advocate the Senate taking direct action," Obi-Wan explained slowly, "yet this is something that you are against in the case of the Jedi."

"I don't understand," Stokra said dryly, "I thought I made my assertions perfectly clear."

"It just seems a little lop-sided," Anakin interjected, "one rule for the Jedi, another for everyone else." 

Stokra glared at him. "Strange that you should say that, Skywalker," he remarked, "given your recent actions in one of the systems I represent."

Anakin flushed perceptively, Obi-Wan frowned at him. _Can you let_ me _handle this?_ his expression asked silently.

"Perhaps you misunderstand me," Obi-Wan said, he was going to continue but Stokra cut him off. 

"Oh no, I understand you perfectly well, Master Jedi." Stokra's red gaze examined Obi-Wan's face sceptically. "The Jedi are protective of their constitutional privileges, yet are not willing to make a statement publicly. Instead, they send you to me in the hope that I will back down." His red eyes glowed like twin blaster bolts. "As I explained to you at the beginning of this interview my position on this issue is firm and will remain that way."

"Even if the Republic is threatened from within and nothing except direct intervention will save it?" Obi-Wan inquired. 

Stokra smiled in a way that infuriated Anakin. "If you are referring to Palpatine's death three years ago, then I suggest you look for a different example," he replied. "The Jedi Council may have thought that a quick solution was best, but no doubt there would have been benefits if Palpatine had been brought to trial." 

"Surely you know that would have been impossible," Obi-Wan remarked, "given his control over the courts the result may have not been desirable."

"Perhaps," Stokra agreed reluctantly, "but what is to stop the Jedi intervening again, justifying their actions for the purpose of democracy? That is why I will not change my mind on this. Now," he picked up the data read out again, "I regret that I cannot give you any more of my time, you must understand how busy I am."

"Of course," Obi-Wan said, rising and inclining his head respectfully before leaving the Senator. Anakin followed close behind, his face hardened perceptively.

"At least that's over with," Obi-Wan murmured as they left Stokra's office. "I knew it would be a pointless exercise, but it needed to be done."

"Then why did we go there at all?" Anakin asked.

"It needed to be done," Obi-Wan repeated. "And even that might be too much if Stokra gets his way."

"He doesn't know what he's saying, Obi-Wan," Anakin argued. "The Jedi will _always _act with the best interests of the galaxy at heart, even if it means compromising ourselves."

"Yes, and that is exactly what we have done," Obi-Wan explained. "In the past the Jedi have not needed to move in the interests of democracy against the elected body of the Republic. The fact is  
that we _had _to," he continued, "and there are some that resent that we still have that right."


	7. Chapter 7

Obi-Wan stood next to a small light runner and had his head in the cockpit when Anakin came in, he knew enough about the ship that the mission ahead was a dangerous one.

"Why didn't you tell me before now?" he asked Obi-Wan. "You said we're going to Naboo." 

"There's no _we _Anakin, _I'm_ going," Obi-Wan replied, "you need to stay here."

Anakin glowered at him. "What happened the last time you set off on a mission without me?"

"This isn't like that, Anakin," Obi-Wan explained patiently. "It's very delicate, there's a diplomatic packet that I need to retrieve in relation to Gunray's trial. That means you can't have much to do with it. Besides," he added. "There's something I need you to do while I'm gone." 

"What?"

Obi-Wan smiled. "It isn't much," he said. "I just need you to take over my 'saber class for a few days."

"WHAT?!"

Obi-Wan ignored his reaction. "I'll be gone for two days, three at the most," he continued quickly.

"No one will even notice I'm gone."

"I will," Anakin argued.

Obi-Wan looked at Anakin for a moment. This was like before he had gone after General Grievous three years ago. The last time, Obi-Wan realised later, when he had _really _seen Anakin. After that he had been a shadow of his former self, something that Obi-Wan was willing to do _anything _to stop.

Yet there would be time to talk when he had returned. And, perhaps teaching others would make Anakin see things he normally was not willing to learn for himself.

"I have to get going," Obi-Wan said quickly, he slipped into the cockpit. "I'll see you when I get back, if you are still in one piece."

Anakin knew better than to argue any further. "May the Force be with you, Obi-Wan," he said, closing the hatch as the customary farewell was returned in kind.

Yet as he watched Obi-Wan's ship disappear into the darkening sky, he had an idea who would need the will of the Force more.

--

Martreyea Kittern smiled as she watched her husband and son sitting together on the couch in the tiny living room of their apartment. It was in a neighbourhood that was much to be desired, she had asked Shinai a few questions when they had arrived and he had told her she was better off not knowing. But it was only temporary, she knew, the job that had brought her husband here would mean that they could get a place of their own like they had had on Avingnon.

"No, like this," Shinai urged, rolling the clear glass ball towards him, yet he did it without even touching it. "You need to _feel _it, _know _how smooth it is and it will just _come_." 

Arrin looked up at his father sceptically, he had his mother's red hair and serious dark eyes that always seemed to be questioning something or other.

"But how can I _feel _it if you don't _give _it to me?" he whined softly.

"I don't need to," his father answered, "you can just _take _it from me."

Arrin shook his head in bewilderment.

"You just need to _relax _your mind," Shinai urged.

The boy looked up at him from beneath the fringe that obscured part of his vision. "You make it sound so _easy_." 

"It is," his father told him, "once you start it, it just _flows_." 

"Okay," agreed Arrin reluctantly, "I'll give it a try."

"No," Shinai corrected gently, "you need to do _more _than try, you need to actually _do _it." 

Arrin crossed his legs as his father had shown him before and closed his eyes. After a moment Shinai placed the glass ball back on the floor, just out of his son's reach. As much as he wanted to reach out with the Force to assist Arrin, he knew that this was something the boy had to do himself.

For a moment he remembered the elation and then confusion that he had felt when Martreyea had told him she was pregnant. And then, holding his son an hour after he was born, feeling the briefest murmur of the Force stir within the sleeping bundle he held.

Now Arrin was almost four, and while Shinai did not have as much time to train him as he would had liked, the boy could recognise the Force for what it was. 

Arrin's face tensed with confusion, Shinai shook his read. 

"Relax!" he urged, deliberately making his voice soft. 

A deep, almost serene expression crossed the boy's face; Shinai drew his attention to the ball. It quivered for a moment as if tapped then slowly rolled towards the boy's leg. Arrin jumped as the ball struck him.

"I…I did it!" he said, looking at the ball and then grinning up at his father. "It was like you said, I _told _it to come and it did."

Shinai ruffled the boy's hair, smiling as he noticed Martreyea watching them through the doorway. 

--

Later, when Arrin was in bed, Martreyea dared her husband with a question that had been troubling her for sometime. 

"Do you think it's…safe?" she murmured.

Shinai turned towards her. As a Miralukan had no eyes, he could not actually _see _her in the same way that she could see him. He saw her as he saw all things, a combination of sensations through the Force.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"This…what you have been teaching him," Martreyea explained. "You told me how the Jedi take away anyone they can find with these…abilities. If they found him…" She shuddered.

"Hey." Shinai took her hand in his, letting his arm come around her shoulder. "I didn't mean for Arrin to have these abilities anymore than you did," he told her. "But in my view, it would be a great waste for him _not _to use what he is gifted naturally with."

"So you mean they _can _find out," Martreyea said, "they can simply _take _him, like they did with _you_." 

"Shhh." He soothed, holding her closer. "No one is going to take him, and as far as I remember they don't even _know _about him." He had seen to it at Arrin's birth that the midi-chlorian test—now a standard test on all newborn infants in Republic territory—came back with no remarked result. Yet that had not quieted Martreyea's fears, fears that went back to an instinct older and stronger than any other: the fear of a mother losing her child.

"Remember," he explained to her," they don't even know about me." He paused, touching her chin so that he could see her face—well kind of. "As far as the Jedi are aware I died on Avingnon," he reminded her. "And in a way, I did." He led her gently over to the couch and sat her down. "This job's going to do a lot for us," he told her, "you know I can't give you any details but we can at last get a place we can call home that's not out nowhere or under anything. And perhaps," he suggested, her tears lessening, "we could give Arrin a brother or sister."

The tender moment was interrupted by Shinai's comlink buzzing. Reluctantly he went to answer it, moving to the back of the apartment so the call could come in clearer.

"Yes?"

"There's been a delay," said the voice on the other end, it was hic contact. Not the Zabrak, the one who he had never seen that had called him on Avingnon with the offer.

"How much?" Shinai asked.

"A few days," the voice told him. "The job is still on."

"It better be," Shinai said impatiently, "I didn't come out here for nothing, you know."

"My employer understands this," the voice said.

"So when?" Shinai made his voice sound impatient.

"Can't say," replied the voice, "I will let you know before."

And with that the call was terminated.

--

The nightmares returned, but they were different this time.

This time Anakin felt as if he had been encased in stone, he could see with eyes that were not his and around him was a burning sensation he could not pinpoint. He breathed in a rasping, rattling way, yet he had no control over this. And he had felt trapped, enclosed in some sort of armour and shackled to a metal slab.

"…der, can you hear me?" asked a voice. That voice was familiar…sounded like…was it Palpatine?

"Yes, my master," Anakin heard himself reply. That voice! It wasn't his but he heard it come out of his own mouth, could feel it boom around his face. Why did he have a voice like that?

Yet there was something else, something elusive. A memory that he had tried to deny to himself as it couldn't _possibly _be true. Padmé, why wasn't she here? For some reason she _should _be.

"Where is Padmé?" he asked, still not recognising the voice that spoke for him. "Is she safe, is she… all right?"

His vision started to focus and suddenly he was looking at who was speaking to him. It was Palpatine, or was it? It sounded like his voice yet his face was all wrinkled and gnarled and his eyes sunken and yellow. It was a face like that of someone dead.

Yet Palpatine—or whoever he was—smiled at him.

"I'm afraid she died." He paused, his smile widening. "It seems in your anger, **you **killed her."

Emotions flooded through Anakin like a rippling torrent. "I couldn't have! She was alive!" he shouted. "I _felt _her! She was _alive_! It's _impossible_! NO!!!"

Around him he could hear explosions, the room started to rumble and shards of metal and glass were flying everywhere. Then suddenly he realised what was happening, it was him who was causing all this destruction. The blasts, the debris they were all caused by…him.

"No! No!" Anakin shouted, clawing his way back to consciousness.

Once again he found himself entangled in his bed and covered with cold sweat. He stared at the ceiling, exhaling rapidly. Was this one worse than the last one? Last time he had seen Padmé dead, felt the raw anger within him as he choked her to death.

Yet this time it was different, this time there was the cold reality of _knowing _that he had killed her.

_Had he?_

He had contemplated the same question the other night and he still did not have an answer. Yet something, the Force or his own subconscious was telling him to find one. Well he would delay it no more, he would go and find Obi-Wan, _right now_ if he had to.

As he stopped to pull on his boots he froze. How could he have forgotten? Obi-Wan had left for Naboo that very afternoon.

Anakin made a low moan but slipped on his boots and robe all the same. He needed a walk to clear his head.

-- 

He walked for he didn't know _how long in the darkened Temple, mind whirling, thoughts all askew. Can there be any meaning behind these dreams?_ he wondered, pausing for a moment in his stride. I need answers, he said to himself, _and even if I don't have any I've been told to find them._

Anakin screwed up his eyes as he recollected the images, Padmé collapsed on the floor, gasping for air…Palpatine's raw visage and voice that revealed what had _really _happened.

"No!" Anakin dismissed them, surprised that he had spoken out loud. "How can I find meaning in something that _never _happened?"

"Meaning?" questioned a familiar voice, Anakin turned to see Yoda watching him keenly.

"Master Yoda," Anakin said, bowing his head slightly, "I…I didn't realise you were there."

Yoda paid no attention to Anakin's surprise. He took a step towards the Jedi, his large eyes seeing everything and missing nothing. "Something troubling you, Anakin?"

"No Master." The response was quick and automatic.

"Hmph!" Yoda hit Anakin's shin sharply with his gimer stick. Anakin winced, when was he going  
to be too old for Yoda to treat him like a disobedient Padawan?

"Either troubled your thoughts are or very interesting that wall has become," Yoda stated, his eyes peering into Anakin keenly.

Anakin avoided his gaze, this action brought another rap on the shin.

"Watching you for ten minutes I was," Yoda continued, behind him he beckoned to a room with several low couches. He was still staring at Anakin, yet to his relief Anakin noticed that though his gaze was somewhat penetrating, it was not unkind.

Reluctantly, Anakin followed the little Jedi Master, sitting opposite him as directed. For a moment he didn't say anything, he merely stared at the floor beneath where Yoda was sitting. It took another blow of Yoda's gimer stick for Anakin to start talking.

"I've been having…dreams," he said, not knowing quite how to explain them.

"Like before, are they?" Yoda asked, referring to the time that Anakin had come to him convinced he had seen Padmé's death. "Remembered, you have, what I said of visions?"

"They're not visions, Master Yoda," Anakin argued, holding back his anger. "At least, not of the future. They _never _happened…and _couldn't _happen."

"Then why being shown them are you?" Yoda inquired, his left ear rising slowly. "Reason for this, there must be, yes?"

Anakin contemplated this; he had long considered this question and as yet had not come up with any answers. "I'm not sure," he confessed slowly, "they may have something to do with the past…" His voice trailed off for a moment. "But I still don't understand why I am being shown things that never happened. I think—"

At this Yoda cut him off. "Interested in what you think, I am not," the Jedi Master asserted. "Clear your mind must be when discovering the reason behind what you see." Yoda's gaze softened for a moment. "Underestimate the Force we must never do, Anakin," he explained, "if revealed to us something is by the Force, a right to question it we may not have."

Anakin found that he could not argue, but what did this leave him with.

"But what _can _I do, Master Yoda?" he asked, all of his anger and hurt worn down into a feeling of utter helplessness. 

"Answer will be given to you," Yoda told him. "Need only find it, you do." 


	8. Chapter 8

Fortunately for Anakin, Obi-Wan had left instructions with Sarib, one of the youngling supervisors, prior to his leaving. The Rodian Jedi Master had also insisted on accompanying him, talking brightly of how delighted she was that Obi-Wan had the foresight to leave Anakin in charge of his class. Surely the children could only benefit from his own prowess with a lightsaber.

Anakin did not agree but chose not to say anything. In his mind facing a group of children seemed quite unnerving, almost like going to fight a Krayt dragon. What if they mobbed him? Bombarded him with questions? Anakin had ways of evading uncomfortable situations, but knew he couldn't use them here.

As he walked into the room and all eyes were in him, Anakin considered that the Krayt dragon may have been the better option. At least he wouldn't have to live with himself if he lost. 

"Children, this is Jedi Anakin Skywalker," Sarib said in hushed voice, "he will be teaching you for a few days while Master Kenobi is away from the Temple." She paused for a moment. "Jedi Skywalker actually trained as Master Kenobi's Padawan learner, so no doubt he will be familiar with his methods of instruction." She then turned to Anakin with a smile. "They're all yours."

_It's like leaving me in a torture chamber_, Anakin thought as she left the room. He was very conscious of all the eyes on him. For a moment he didn't say anything as he couldn't think of what he should say.

One of the younglings at the back put up a hand. Anakin nodded to him, at loss for something to do.

"Jedi Skywalker," said a small voice, "is it true that you killed a Sith Lord?"

"Uhh…" Anakin felt himself blushing, the small faces were hanging on for his answer. "Not…not _exactly_." He could feel the disappointment through the Force so he hastily added, "not that I haven't _fought _a Sith though," he added, seeing their expressions slowly light up.

"What's it like?" someone else asked.

"It's like…like…" He searched his mind for a suitable expression. "Like being in the middle of a whirling windstorm."

There were a few giggles, and when Anakin formed a literal picture of what he had said he found himself smiling.

"Okay, I guess we start with the meditation," Anakin said, slowly sinking to the floor and the others did the same. "And…normally someone leads?"

"I will," piped up a small voice.

Anakin searched the faces to see who had spoken; it was the girl with dark eyes and hair. "And what is your name?"

"Sona, Sona Cantari."

Anakin smiled again and closed his eyes, feeling the Force softly rising within himself and everyone else in the room. Perhaps this wouldn't be too bad after all.

--

Walking back to his quarters after the class had finished, Anakin was surprised that he had actually _enjoyed _the experience. Especially half-way through when they moved into small duels, also called velocities. The younglings had retreated to the edges of the room and drew names to select the combatants.

Though they clearly had not the finesse or speed that Anakin had grown used to—after all they were eleven and twelve year olds—there was something satisfying at watching the display. The lightsabers would flash, the two would dance across the practise mats until one was felled and would call out "Solah!"—the sign to one's opponent that you had been beaten.

And there was Sona, for some reason Anakin could not stop himself from watching her. He felt a strange jolt of pleasure as he had called out her name. But watching her fight…in a way it was like watching Padmé. That certain grace and fluidness that Padmé had possessed, the lightness and ease she seemed to carry herself with. This was all embryonic, merely rudimentary skills that had yet to be fully developed but Anakin could not help wonder what she would be like to watch once she was fully trained. And what kind of Master that she would have to see her through her training. 

So deep in thought he was he failed to notice Threepio and Artoo approaching him. Anakin walked straight past the two droids without a glance.

Threepio looked disdainfully at the astromech droid.

"I don't know what you are talking about, Artoo," the protocol droid sniffed. "You said that Master   
Anakin was upset, yet I haven't seen him this happy in…oh, a long time."

Artoo beeped mournfully.

"Yes, that too," Threepio agreed, walking away with his shorter counterpart. 

--

The passage to Naboo had been without any trouble, Obi-Wan had expected as much. Trouble, he knew, if it occurred at all would arrive on the way back. A message from Bail Organa that he had received when he had finished with Captain Panaka confirmed this, Stokra knew about Obi-Wan's mission. The nature of the trouble, whether it be an ambush in space or otherwise, remained to be seen. 

Several parsecs out from Devaron, Obi-Wan found out just how exacting Stokra could be. He was in the back cabin of his runner when loud alarms blared from the cockpit, signalling his ship was leaving hyperspace.

"What the blazes is going on here?" Obi-Wan growled, reaching up to flip several switches with one hand on the hyperspace throttle.

The starlines gave way to stars, and immediately in front of Obi-Wan's ship was one—no two—Corellian Corvettes. He quickly made several scans and what he found looked grim.

"Interdiction field," he muttered, shaking his head. It was the perfect ploy space pirates used, they waited in main shipping lanes with their gravity wells activated to bring ships just like his out of hyperspace as well as stop them from jumping to safety.

The question remained whether they were interested in boarding, or simply disintegrating him.

Pulling his ship into a steep dive with one hand, Obi-Wan gave the console a few quick commands to calculate the edge of the interdiction field. As the ships started to fire upon him he was given the readings.

Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow. "That far?" He glanced at it again, this time the readout looked somewhat better. According to the calculations, only one of the blockade runners was emitting the field. All the same, Obi-Wan could not help but murmur to himself, "I have a bad feeling about this."

He altered a few of the controls and set a course, as much as he hated to he would have to try one of Anakin's tricks.

--

In the cockpit of the _Aeolian_, Penak Ardesh watched the Jedi's ship run an erratic course that was neither away from or towards them. He ran his hand over his dark closely-clipped hair, his mouth opening in surprise.

"What in space is he doing?" he murmured, watching as the runner evaded their blasts but kept the same distance. He turned to the pilot, a red-skinned Trandoshan named Krassk. "How many hits have we given him?"

Krassk considered this for a moment. "None, he doesn't seem to take any hits."

"Perhaps it's because he's a Jedi," suggested the Falleen co-pilot.

Ardesh shook his head. "I've seen Jedi blown out of the sky before," he said. "Engage the tractor beam, if we can't vape him we'll just catch him."

--

So far all Obi-Wan had managed to do was confuse them, that was fine yet it wasn't enough to get him out of the interdiction field. It was a trick he had learned from Anakin during the war: the quickest way to get someone to lower their defences was to get them to question your motives. Or even better, let them think that you have no motives at all.

Fortunately he did have a plan, as well as a few surprises on board his ship. 

--

"He's changing course," said the _Aeolian_'s co-pilot, a Falleen named Xian, "he's moving to—what the…?" 

"What's going on?" Ardesh asked.

"He's attacking," said Xian, "heading straight for us."

"Can our tractor beams get a lock?" Ardesh asked, feeling himself starting to sweat.

"Yes, they—no, he's getting too high above us." Xian watched his targeting screen with an amazed face. What did this guy this he was _doing_?

"Get the _Stiletto _around to cut him off!" Ardesh roared. "We can't let him escape!"

--

As he climbed above the first pirate ship, Obi-Wan noticed the second one coming around to block his escape. Fortunately, this was not the one with the interdiction field. It immediately started firing, and unlike before he scored several hits to his shields.

Obi-Wan frantically put his craft into a dive, feeling his stomach fall with the dissent. He had never liked flying, had liked it even less during the Clone Wars. There were far too many things going on for him to concentrate properly.

He flew lower, almost skimming the top of the first Corvette with the underside of his runner. The second ship continued to fire but the blast mostly hit on the hull around him. Yet Obi-Wan was oblivious to this. Through the Force he could see the durasteel hull below him, he waited…and waited…then dropped a bomb right on the ship's stabilising fin.

--

An enormous explosion shook the ship, Ardesh almost fell from his command chair. He had only taken on this job for the immense capital that had been offered, but he vowed this would be the only time he would go after a Jedi.

"Assess the damage," he ordered.

"Captain, he's hit our main stabilising fin," Xian said grimly. "I'm shutting down the main reactor."

"Isn't there any way—" 

"Captain, even you know as well as I do we're all but dead in space once our stabilising fin is shot," the co-pilot interrupted.

For a long moment Ardesh was silent. "What's the report from the _Stiletto_?" He finally asked.

"They're still engaging," Xian said after a moment's communication, "several hits, they believe they can take him even though he's out of their tractor beam range."

"Tell them to let him go," Ardesh sighed.

Xian's eyes went wide. "Captain?" 

"You heard me, belay that order," Ardesh barked. "We're not giving up if you think that's what I mean," he hastily amended, "he won't get far, not with the damage we've given him.

--

Within reasonable range of the two now stationary pirate ships, Obi-Wan escaped into hyperspace. Yet from the state of his ship, the trip would not be a long one.

-- 

As instructed by the comlink, Shinai met the Zabrak again, this time in a crowded cantina in the lower levels. They stood together at the bar, exchanging empty pleasantries over drinks before moving to the back to get down to business.

"What news?" Shinai asked.

"My employer can no longer wait," the Zabrak told him. "He wants it done tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" 

"You heard me," growled the Zabrak. "Any problems?" 

"No, none at all," Shinai said.

"And there's a change in the time." The Zabrak handed him another datacard. "This should cover everything."

"And the pay?" Shinai asked.

"It's being transferred into your account as we speak," the Zabrak said, and without further word he melted into the crowd.

Shinai pocketed the datacard and made his way back to the bar, the ends of his mouth starting to curl into a smile. He had only taken the job for personal reasons, the credits he had pushed for the sake of appearing to be an ordinary bounty hunter. 

But he was no ordinary bounty hunter, and it was no ordinary job either.

--

For the next day's lesson Anakin was willing to continue with the velocities, though only after a quick run-through of skills he saw that needed improvement from the previous day. Rather than drills, which could give a false sense of security, Anakin knew that the best way of seeing how much one had learned was to see it in action. What had happened yesterday had been revealing and had given him something to start with.

Suddenly he stopped in his walk through the Temple, why was he so interested in this all of a sudden? What he was doing was temporary as Obi-Wan was expected back any day. And when he had arrived he could go back to…what? Waiting around for the Council to give him a mission while at the same time being haunted by these nightmares?

He had had another nightmare last night, different again. Padmé had been there, he could remember how worried she had looked and how he had clung to her as if he had been afraid to lose her. What had she said? Something about an attack on the Jedi Temple, he couldn't remember exactly what.

Anakin had even done as Yoda had suggested, yet this had revealed no answers, or so Anakin thought as he walked into the practise room where the younglings were waiting. 

--

"No, no." Anakin brought his own lightsaber up to demonstrate. "Here, I'll show you."

He performed the parry as Sona looked on, her dark eyes watching the blue blade as it quickly cut through the air. She nodded wordlessly, placing her hands as Anakin had held his.

"No, like this." Anakin took her wrists in her hands, making them a perfect imitation of what his had been. Then he stood back. "Now, see if you can move better." 

Sona complied, starting low and then bringing her green training lightsaber blade high with a perfectly executed double swing.

Anakin could feel himself smiling, he fought the expression but somehow it stayed on his face. "Great," he said, "now if you bring it back just a little further you can give yourself more speed when you swing it through."

"Like you with Count Dooku?" Sona asked.

The question caught Anakin off-guard for a moment, fortunately his comlink buzzed and he had an excuse not to reply. He retreated towards the doorway, took his comlink out of his pocket and activated it. "Skywalker here." 

"Jedi Skywalker, would it be convenient if you called around sometime this afternoon?" said the voice on the other end. 

Anakin knew that voice. "Senator Stokra?"

"Yes," replied the Senator, "I feel that our meeting went a little badly before, and I don't think I gave you enough credit for what you did on Etti IV."

Anakin blinked. "Come again?"

"I have received reports from Etti IV and I must say that I could have misjudged you," Stokra said in an even voice. "Perhaps we could discuss this further?"

"Of course," Anakin said, noticing his students were becoming distracted. "Perhaps in a few hours from now?"

There was a pause at the other end for a moment. "It just so happens that I have a window in my schedule four hours from now that would be suitable," Stokra finally said, "Shall I look forward to seeing you?"

It was more of a summons than a request, but Anakin was willing to let that pass. For once. "Yes, that'll be fine."

Then without any further ceremony the transmission was terminated.

Anakin considered this for a moment, could Stokra's offer be genuine? _Perhaps_, Anakin thought reluctantly, _but the only way to find out is to go and see him. If only Obi-Wan were here…_

Then without another thought he pocketed the comlink and went on with the lesson. 


	9. Chapter 9

A parsec out from Commenor, Obi-Wan's hyperdrive gave out. He was dead in deep space, and with a grimace he noticed that his hyperwave transmitter had been fried as well.

"So what now?" Obi-Wan asked no one in particular. Commenor was a major stop on the way to Coruscant, yet no one was likely to pass through exactly where he was, not in realspace anyway.

With a groan he drew himself out of the cockpit and went to the back of the ship to inspect his hyperdrive. A quick glance showed it was beyond repair, as far as what he could do right now. The pounding from the second pirate ship had riddled it with cracks.

With a sigh, Obi-Wan leaned against it closing his eyes. The question came again, what could he do now? He couldn't go anywhere, he couldn't call for help and he was unlikely to be found. To top it off, if the pirate ship had tracked his hyperspace vector he would soon be followed.

If Qui-Gon was here, Obi-Wan thought suddenly, he would say to trust the living Force. He was silent for a few more moments, wondering if the living Force could get him out of this situation.

His answer came quicker than anticipated.

"Unidentified ship," crackled a voice on the ship's comm. "This is the _Lernian Star_, are you in need of assistance?"

Obi-Wan ran into the cockpit so fast he almost collided with the console. Quickly he spoke into it.

"Yes, as a matter of fact I am," he said, sitting down in the pilot's chair, his heart racing. "My hyperdrive's shot along with my hyperwave transmitter." He quickly looked at his scanners, he could see the ship coming behind him, a small bulk freighter. At that moment Obi-Wan didn't really care who they were, they were offering him help and that was good enough.

"We're headed for the Core, we can offer you passage to our destination," came the answer. "Are you capable of docking manually or would you prefer if we sent out a tractor beam?" 

Obi-Wan scrutinised his controls for a moment. "The tractor beam's probably better," he replied.

"Engaging now," answered the ship.

Within a moment Obi-Wan could feel the pull of the tractor beam on his ship. An idea crossed his mind, supposing they were working with the pirates? It was unlikely but possible. Yet somehow that didn't feel right, he knew that he was being offered assistance though he may be expected to pay dearly for it.

And I may be back later then I realised, he thought with a wry smile, Oh well, Anakin will live.

--

With his ship attached to the freighter, Obi-Wan crossed to the airlock in a vac suit. From the outside he could see the amount of carbon scoring on his ship's hull. No wonder they asked if I needed help, he thought as he neared the freighter, it's a wonder I got it into hyperspace at all.

The outer door of the airlock opened and then closed after him, when the chamber was depressurised the inner door opened. And standing there was the last person that Obi-Wan had expected to see.

"Han Solo, isn't it?" Obi-Wan asked, removing the hood of his vac suit and unzipping it.

Han stood there silent for a moment, blaster in hand. "How did you get out here?" he asked finally, examining Obi-Wan up and down. "Wait till Stowe hears we've got a Jedi on board." He gestured behind him. "Come on, you're wanted on the bridge."

-- 

Within a few minutes Obi-Wan learned that Stowe, or Ridel Stowe, was the captain of the _Lernian Star_ and they were in bound for Coruscant from Thyferra. Han was the freighter's most recent addition, having been hired within a day of his arrival with Anakin on Coruscant.

And the reason they were out there? Han said they had to transmit some of the new details of their cargo as some of the bacta they carried was unsaleable. As for the odds of finding Obi-Wan there, Han didn't like to speculate.

The bridge of the _Lernian Star_ was large and well-worn from the many space travels and conflicts involved therewith. Captain Stowe was leaning back in his chair finalising the details for their return to hyperspace. He was roughly humanoid in form with translucent blue skin that seemed to sparkle and blue-black hair that fell to his shoulders. He wore a long well-worn coat, tall boots and a sidearm blaster in a holster on his belt. Obi-Wan detected no hostility from him at all.

"Ah yes," Stowe turned to view Obi-Wan and did a classic double take. "You're a Jedi?" he asked incredulously, shaking his head. "I had no idea."

"Well I didn't exactly have a banner at the back of my ship saying 'Jedi on board'," Obi-Wan replied dryly, he inclined his head slightly. "Obi-Wan Kenobi, I have to thank you for taking me on board. I don't know what else I could have done."

"It was lucky we found you alright," Stowe murmured.

"Personally I don't believe in luck," Obi-Wan remarked. "But enough said, you got me out of there."

"So what actually happened?" Stowe asked, looking at their plotted coordinates with half an eye. 

"Pirates," the Jedi replied, sitting on top of one of the boxes lying about the bridge. "I'd say they were lying in wait for me, they pulled me out of hyperspace."

Stowe let out a low whistle. "Any idea why?"

"I'm afraid I can't say," Obi-Wan replied, hoping Stowe would not take offence to this. 

"Don't worry, we've all got our fair share of secrets," Stowe said, snapping his fingers suddenly. "Solo, give me a readout of his ship. Let's see if we can save it right here."

Han compiled and in a moment the data was in front of Stowe, it didn't look promising.

"What did you do?" Stowe asked Obi-Wan. "Fly straight at him?"

Obi-Wan chuckled. "Something like that."

Stowe shook his head in disbelief. "Looks like we're going to have to give you a ride the rest of the way." 

Obi-Wan groped for his credit pouch. "I am willing to pay for the shipping—"

Stowe dismissed this with a wave of his hand. "Your lot helped me out more than once during the war," he said. "Consider this a paying off of _my _debts to the Jedi."

Just as they were about to jump a proximity alarm went off.

"Captain, we've got company," said one of the crew. "Two Corellian Corvettes."

Stowe flashed a glance at Obi-Wan. "Friends of yours?"

Obi-Wan nodded. "Unfortunately."

Stowe turned his seat back to the front view port and fumbled for his restraints. "Better strap in," he advised the Jedi. "If they see your ship I don't think they'll be as nice to us as they were to you."

--

They had managed to repair the stabilising fin of the Aeolian to get them into hyperspace, but that was only through slaving the ships' navcomputer to the _Stiletto_. Yet it wasn't hard to find the Jedi's ship again, given his last known trajectory and the fact that his ship would be crippled.

What they were surprised to see was that now he had help, someone had managed to find him and get him aboard and once again they would have a fight on their hands. 

Yet Ardesh thought otherwise, he didn't want to make the mistake last time of another firefight.

"Disable their weapons," Ardesh said, "no wait a moment, I'll see if they'll just hand him over quietly. Let me talk to them."

-- 

"Captain, we have a transmission coming in," said the co-pilot of the Lernian Star. "The ship identifies as the _Aeolian_." 

"Patch it through," Stowe replied, "but stand-by for an attack run."

There was the crackle of static and then a low, growling voice could be heard on the bridge.

"This is Penak Ardesh of the _Aeolian_," said the voice. "I am willing to leave your ship unharmed if you hand over the passenger you picked up."

Obi-Wan paled for a moment, asking Stowe to help him was one thing, asking him to risk his own life and the lives of his crew was another.

"Who says we have a passenger?" Stowe challenged.

"The ship you have in tow, does," Ardesh shot back. "hand him over without any further questions and you can go."

Yet Stowe didn't hesitate. "Negative, _Aeolian_," he told Ardesh. "Just how would we know you just wouldn't blast us into slag if we _did _cooperate?"

Ardesh either didn't hear or ignored the last question. "Acknowledged," he said in a tight voice and the transmission terminated.

"Somehow I don't think they're going to put up much of a fight than last time," Obi-Wan murmured.

Stowe stared at him. "What makes you say that?"

"Simple," Obi-Wan replied, "they're going to try and board."

--

"_Stiletto_, get to these coordinates I'm sending you," Ardesh ordered, "engage fire but we're trying to take the ship intact, you copy?" 

"Copy, _Aeolian_," acknowledged the pilot.

"I want a full scan of this ship," Ardesh told Xian, "weapons, sensors, shields everything and then we'll hit each part one by one."

--

"Start our attack run," Stowe ordered, "power up our weapons and fire on my signal." He nodded to Han. "Get to the gun turrets and see who else you can find not doing anything."

Obi-Wan got to his feet. "Want some help?" 

Han blinked. "Come on, they're this way," he said, running off the bridge and down a tunnel.

--

Secure in the gun turret of in the belly of the _Lernian Star_, Obi-Wan checked his headset then rotated his seat to face the starscape beyond.

"Gunner's ready?" called Stowe over the comlink.

"Ready," Han answered.

"Ready," Obi-Wan said with him.

If Stowe was surprised at hearing Obi-Wan's voice he chose not to say so.

"Batteries fully loaded," said the voice of the co-pilot.

"Stand-by," said Stowe.

--

On the bridge of the Aeolian, Ardesh watched the tactical screen as they moved into position.

"We are in position," said Xian to Ardesh.

"Good," noted Ardesh, "fire at will."

--

Obi-Wan could see the _Aeolian _approaching them, it had yet to properly engage. He let himself go into the Force, waiting for the moment…

"Fire!" Stowe ordered.

As Obi-Wan fired he could see several laser blasts coming from the corvette, landing just above the gun turret where he was. For a moment he was thrown against the transparasteel, straining his crash webbing.

"Blast!" Obi-Wan swore, that was too close.

"You okay back there?" asked Stowe.

"No damage," Obi-Wan said, quickly checking the weapon's systems. 

--

"You missed! How could you miss?" Ardesh roared to Xian.

"Captain, it was still a hit," Xian pointed out.

"I don't care!" Angrily he pushed Xian aside and got behind the console. "Let me show you how this is _really _done," he said. "At least I don't intend to see how much mud I can throw and hope some will stick."

-- 

"They're making another pass," said Stowe's pilot. 

"Stand by," ordered Stowe. "We hit 'em last time, we need to let them know we aren't bluffing."

The Aeolian came into view again. _Steady_, Obi-Wan told himself,_ steady, any moment…_  
"Fire!"

Obi-Wan squeezed and the bolt fled from the mouth of his cannon, flying towards the hull of the corvette…and detonated on the surface without making much damage at all.

The Jedi blinked, what had happened there? His aim had been fine, but before the initial hit…

But he didn't have time to think this further, a succession of laser blasts exploded against his gun turret, frying it completely.

-- 

"Now that," said Ardesh, glancing pointedly at Xian whose position he had deposed, "is how you catch a ship intact!" He spoke into his head set. "_Stiletto_, what's your status?" 

"We're in those coordinates like you said," said the _Stiletto_'s pilot. "Your orders?"

"Take out their remaining weapons," said Ardesh, readying himself as they began another attack run, this time to the front of the freighter. "And we'll see how they can manage flying blind."

-- 

His laser cannon useless, Obi-Wan made his way back to the bridge. The situation looked critical, the second corvette was taking out their remaining weapons while the first was preparing to attack them at the front.

_I can't let this happen_, Obi-Wan decided, he should have said something sooner. He approached Stowe. 

"Captain Stowe, what if I told you there was a way we could get them to stand down?" he asked.  
Stowe paused and then stared at the Jedi for a moment. "What are you talking about?"

"If you convinced them that you could give them what they want they would leave you alone," Obi-Wan continued. "And then while they extend a docking arm you could…" He ended with a shrug.

Stowe smiled. "I like the way you think."

--

The _Stiletto _had yet to destroy the freighter's other gun turret, but the display of blasts on the hull clearly showed their intentions. Which is why it was such a surprise for Ardesh when a transmission came through from the freighter.

"This is…Ca…Stowe of …_Lernian Star_." The transmission sounded somewhat garbled and laboured as if there was either something was wrong with the ship's communications or Stowe realised that he had met his match. Either option pleased Ardesh. 

"Acknowledged, _Lernian Star_ this is the _Aeolian_," said Ardesh. "Have you suddenly realised the foolishness of your actions?"

"Let's just say…ould be better for…th of us to…me to some sort of agreement," said Stowe. "We have…Jedi on board and we…hand him over if you…eave us alone."

Ardesh didn't have to get the transmission processed to know what it meant.

"Glad we can do business with you," Ardesh replied, "now if you'll dock with us—"

"Negative, _Aeolian_," interrupted Stowe. "There's so…amage to our …king arm, it would be…etter if you…ked with us."

Ardesh frowned, as far as he could tell this didn't appear to be the case. Yet appearances were often deceptive...

"We'll dock with you, _Lernian Star_," Ardesh replied. "You better have him tied down, my crew won't exactly want a wayward Jedi on board." 

"…ledged _Aeolian_," said Stowe. _"…ian Star _out."

"You heard him, extend our docking arm!" barked Ardesh to Krassk. He smiled as he got up from the seat; this was easier than he had thought.

--

"Solo, use all the power with that battery of yours to fire on the docking arm when it gets in range," Stowe ordered.

"But Captain," Han protested, "I thought we were going to—"

"What we are going to do," interrupted Stowe, "is cut and run." He nodded to the co-pilot. "Are we ready to jump?"

"Ready, Captain," answered the co-pilot.

Stowe turned to Obi-Wan. "This idea of yours better work."

"It will," Obi-Wan reassured. _Most of them do_, he added in thought.

--

Ardesh stood at the airlock, waiting for the docking to complete so he could board the freighter. The initial plan was to cripple the ship as well box it in so they could board and get the Jedi. Fortunately there had been a change of plans before they sustained too much damage.

"How far are we out?" he asked Xian.

"About forty," he answered. "Thirty five, thirty—"

A sudden explosion rocked the ship, Ardesh fell against the wall. "What in space happened there?" he bellowed into his comlink.

"They destroyed our docking arm," replied Xian.

"Well go after them!" Ardesh roared.

"Can't Captain," said Xian in a quiet voice, "they're too far out of range they've…" Ardesh felt his anger rise with the next words. "…made the jump to hyperspace."


	10. Chapter 10

With the characteristic robes and the cowl of his cloak shading his face, Shinai looked like any other Jedi who didn't wish to be noticed. This was not only his intention but was part of his instructions. 

He emerged from a turbolift into the senator's office, the red Twi'lek receptionist eyed him nervously.

"Another Jedi?" she spat. "I'm sorry I have to tell you that the senator is not—"

That was as far as she got before she collapsed onto the desk, her eyes wide with surprise. Shinai was satisfied, but he still needed to recognisable, or seem to be…

Shinai ignited his lightsaber, the blue blade glowing as he walked towards the senator's office, the light and hum attracting the attention of the guards. They formed a line before the door.

"You…Jedi!" the guard in the middle barked. "The senator has said—" The guard started to choke, his hands grappling at his throat. The others either side of him aimed their weapons but Shinai fought them all back with quick blows from his lightsaber. The remaining guard he threw across the room with the Force and then he opened the door. 

Senator Stokra turned to stare at him. "You again!" He reached out his sleeve for a small hold-out blaster. "I don't know how you managed to get past my guards, Skywalker, but this confrontation is unwarranted."

Shinai didn't speak, this was another part of his instructions. He simply reached into the Force and plucked the blaster from the senator's hand. He brought his lightsaber down on the senator's desk, gouging it into two parts.

Stokra's eyes grew wide and fearful, he backed away. "You'll never take me alive!" he barked, grappling at the wall behind him and pressing a hidden button. A loud alarm started to blare, Stokra smiled. "The general alarm," he said, smiling slightly. "Not even you Jedi can stop that."

Shinai's expression seemed to challenge this, he swung his lightsaber towards the senator and threw Stokra against the wall with the Force. Stokra's skull made a _crack _as it impacted, his limp body slumped to the floor.

Shinai smiled, it was time to leave. 

--

While he would have preferred to wait until Obi-Wan returned, Anakin felt an odd sense of pleasure in the thought that he might be able to sort out a diplomatic problem _without _the Jedi Order's most renowned negotiator. Anakin personally preferred to settle negotiations with his lightsaber; it was fast, clean and left others in no doubt as to where you stood.

Yet as his airspeeder set down on the landing pad he could feel…something…some kind of threat, something that gave him a very bad feeling about this.

His suspicions had proved correct when he entered the building, the Twi'lek receptionist was slumped against her desk and it took but a simple touch to confirm she was dead. Anakin stretched out with his senses, if there was a threat he didn't detect it but this didn't mean that it wasn't there.

With one hand on his lightsaber he walked towards the senator's office, the guards were lying dead on the ground and the door showed signs of forced entry but he did not stop to examine them. Inside the office Senator Stokra was collapsed against a wall, his head limp on his shoulders. 

"No, you can't be dead," Anakin said, quickly kneeling at Stokra's side. He knew that the bulk of this could fall on him as so far he had seen no witnesses. He reached out a hand, the back of Stokra's scalp was caked with blood, but there was a pulse.

At the sound of running footsteps Anakin looked up, it was security. 

"You guys took your time," he told them, "someone's already been and gone."

"Secure the area, check for survivors," the sergeant ordered, his men dispersed. "Do you know what happened here?"

Anakin started to answer that he had just arrived, but senator Stokra regained consciousness. With a shaking hand he pointed at the Jedi. "You!" he spat, his voice thin but determined. "What are you still doing here?"

-- 

In the middle of a meeting with Senators Bel Iblis and Orn Free Taa, Danta's aide Varné entered.

"Excuse me, senators," she said in a hushed voice, "but there appears to have been an attack on Senator Stokra."

There was a long silence.

"When was theess?" Danta asked finally.

"About thirty minutes ago," Varné replied.

Bel Iblis let out a low whistle. "Bad news has good legs," he murmured. "Some assassin I assume?"

Varné shook her head. "The reports say the attacker was a Jedi," she confessed, "but I'm not sure if that's accurate."

She quickly excused herself and Danta considered this thoughtfully. "Thesa cannot be possible," the Gungan said finally.

"Yet it has happened," Bel Iblis pointed out, "or it has _appeared _to have happened." 

"Very bombad," Danta agreed.

--

"This is injustice!" Stokra shouted.

"My apologies senator, but these are the procedures laid down by law," the sergeant explained. "I simply follow the law, making them is _your _job I believe."

Even Stokra knew better than to argue with this. "I am agreeing with this under protest," he said, glowering at Anakin who sat in the corner of the room.

Anakin knew better than to look back, he even knew better than to even _talk _to Stokra. As the sergeant had explained to him, the standard procedure when a Jedi's actions were brought into question was to contact the Jedi Council. Two Council members would then take custody of the wayward Jedi and then they would be answerable to the Council's ruling.

Even though the circumstances appeared slightly dubious to the sergeant—and he explained this at length to Anakin—this was the way it had to be.

Anakin wanted to argue with him, or better still run out the door and go somewhere else. Mon Calamari might do nicely with half the galaxy between him and Coruscant. Yet even he could understand how this could be taken as an admission of guilt, something Stokra would not hesitate to throw at him and the Jedi Order.

Eventually the sergeant's comlink informed that the Jedi's transport had landed, and soon enough Yoda arrived with Shaak Ti. Yoda looked sternly around the room. Anakin, feeling his composure in tatters, got to his feet. 

"Master Yoda this is all a mistake," he quickly said. "I can explain—"

Yoda cut him off with a gesture. "Explain you can later." He nodded to the sergeant. "Take young Skywalker we will, trouble us he will not."

Stokra glared at this. "Are you sure of that Master Yoda?"

Yoda returned the senator's stare with one of his own, Stokra had the sense not to say anything more. Yet he glowered as Anakin was taken out of the room with Shaak Ti shadowing him.

--

When they were in the speeder on the way back to the Temple Yoda let out a long sigh. He looked up at Anakin.

"Understand you do what mean this will?" he asked

"But I didn't—"

Yoda rapped Anakin impatiently on the knee with his gimer stick. "Means nothing that does!" he admonished. "Dissent he will create and more precarious our position will be!"

"Anakin, what were you doing in Senator Stokra's office in the first place?" Shaak Ti asked kindly.

"He _asked _me to be there," Anakin answered.

The Togrutan gave Anakin a strange look, Yoda closed his eyes meditatively.

"Tighter the dark side binds us," he murmured, "yet abound our adversaries are."

-- 

Without an appointment, Bail Organa burst into Chancellor Amedda's office.

"I'm not sure whether to believe this or not," he told the Chagrian. "Anakin Skywalker has been _arrested_?" 

"I'm afraid that is true, senator," Amedda replied regretfully. "I was surprised at the news myself but it cannot be denied."

"But Stokra…" Bail shook his head in frustration. "I don't like this; it's far too convenient given what he said last week on the Holonet."

"Like it or not the evidence is there," Amedda told him. "It's far from conclusive but I doubt Stokra will pay any attention to that."

-- 

The Temple was abuzz with the news, rumours were flying everywhere and Sona was not sure who to believe. She asked several Jedi, even Master Kenobi when she saw him walking through the Temple, though when she was reminded that she was better to focus on her studies Sona sought out more definite answers.

Why she came to the lower levels of the Temple where Jedi Skywalker was reportedly held she did not know exactly. She asked the Jedi on duty if she might see him, and when there appeared to be no objections she went in.

But before she did she spotted something sitting on the shelves where Skywalker's belongings were held. There, with his lightsaber and comlink was a flat river stone, black in colour and round and smooth. When she touched it she could feel…a ripple of sensations flooding through her, places she had never seen, faces she could not identify.

She went in with it in her hands.

-- 

Anakin, who had been staring angrily at the wall, looked up when he heard he had a visitor. At first he had expected it to be Obi-Wan, or even Yoda but walking towards him was the last person he had expected to see.

It was Sona, the young Jedi initiate in his—no Obi-Wan's—'saber training class. She held something out to him.

"I…thought you might want this," she said in a small voice, more curious than nervous.

Anakin took it from her, it was the river stone that Obi-Wan had given him on his thirteenth birthday. The same stone that Obi-Wan had been given when he was Qui-Gon's Padawan.

"I thought it might be important," Sona said.

Anakin stared at her. "How could you know this?"

Sona shrugged. "I don't know," she confessed. "It's just…a feeling I had."

There was silence for a few moments. Finally, Anakin knew he had to get rid of her. "Why have you come?" he asked her, hoping she would take the hint and leave.

She shrugged again. "I think I wanted to find out some answers," she said slowly, her dark eyes examining his face carefully. "But I also wanted to talk to you, ever since that night with the lambent poppies I've wanted to."

Anakin didn't know what to say, and this alone stunned him. The only ones he knew who could disarm him like this were Obi-Wan and Yoda, and of course there had been Palpatine and Padmé… But this twelve year old girl who he had not even known up until about a week ago? Why?

Sona's soft voice interrupted his thoughts. "I wanted to ask you something." Her eyes were still on him, watching his every movement. "What is it that you have seen that makes you like this? I mean," she continued, "that you keep trying to look angry with everyone but there's something else there that you're trying to _hide_, isn't there? Something that you don't want to even _mention_."

_How could she know this?_ Anakin thought, his mind spinning from the questions she was posing. And what he said next surprised him more. "I…I lost someone very close to me," he said.  
Sona's eyes were wide. "Someone you…loved?"

Anakin found that he couldn't answer that question. _And what would she know about love anyway?_ he thought rather bitterly. Yet Sona appeared to understand his silence, she touched his knee. The touch was slight, barely more than a flower petal alighting on his shoulder, yet it sent up a pulse through his body as strong as last time.

And for a moment, briefer than a nanosecond Anakin's mental shields around his pain for Padmé fell, but that wasn't all that was surprising. He could feel _Sona _entering that space, and he didn't even fight it. He felt her reach out to him in the Force, nothing but compassion behind her impulse. _It's all right_, he felt her say, _I know how you feel._

The spell was broken when the door to the cell was opened. Anakin and Sona jumped perceptively and looked rather guiltily at the duty Jedi.

"You'll have to go," he said to Sona, staring between them curiously, "Master Kenobi is here."   
Anakin stared at the doorway after she had gone. There was something about the question she had asked that was familiar, either that or with what he had said. Yet for the life of him he couldn't name it.

--

_What has he done this time?_ That had been Obi-Wan's first thought when he had heard the news about Anakin. Immediately he had set out for the Temple, wondering if his former apprentice could mess things up any more than he already had. Should he have been surprised? A part of Obi-Wan's mind told him that this could have almost have been _expected_, especially since it involved Senator Stokra.

Yet that was not what surprised him. What made Obi-Wan stop in shock when he was waiting to see Anakin was the fact that one of his initiates—Sona Cantari who had stopped him earlier when he was on his way to see Yoda—had apparently been Anakin's visitor.

She looked rather guiltily at Obi-Wan as if being caught doing something she shouldn't, yet apart from the customary greetings she chose to say nothing. _What is behind all this? _Obi-Wan wondered, _Don't tell me they liked Anakin _that _much_.

Yet all of these questions were out of his mind when he entered the cell. Fortunately Anakin was not in the mood for an argument even though Obi-Wan had come prepared for one. Anakin didn't even look at him when he entered, he merely continued to stare at the wall.

This was probably all the attention that Anakin would decide to give him, so Obi-Wan decided to begin.

"You'll be seeing the Jedi Council this evening, the last session." For a moment Obi-Wan was silent as if waiting for Anakin to answer. "Even with all the noise Stokra is making we've got to hurry this through with Gunray's trial impending." 

Anakin did not seem to hear him. "You're late," he said, staring at the Jedi Master accusingly.

Obi-Wan raised his eyebrows. "Sorry?"

"You said you'd be only a few days and now it's a week later," Anakin explained as if it were obvious.

"Anakin, this is _you _we are talking about!" Obi-Wan half-shouted. "What happened this morning pretty much ruined everything my mission was about. All we have is your word against Stokra's and even if this _was _all a set-up, you could be in a very precarious position." He paced the cell in exasperation. "I just don't know why you were with Stokra in the first place, even _you _should know better than that!" 

Anakin took a deep breath and gave Obi-Wan his full attention. "He called me this morning and said he wanted to make a compromise."

Obi-Wan looked at Anakin sceptically. "And what did he say?"

"He said that he had perhaps misjudged me and I had the impression he wanted to withdraw his allegations against the Jedi," Anakin answered.

Obi-Wan sighed, this was _just _like Anakin. "Why couldn't you wait until I had returned?"

"I _wanted _to," Anakin admitted, "but he said this afternoon, and it wasn't like I could argue with him. And Obi-Wan," he added for good measure, "he didn't mention _you _at all, he wanted to talk to _me_."

"Anakin, can't you see how he trapped you into this situation for his own benefit?" Obi-Wan demanded.

Anakin looked surprised. "Isn't that going too far?"

Obi-Wan ignored the question. "Here is what Stokra is saying," he told him. "He claims that his allegations were true in how the Jedi are moving against our political opponents and this is justification for reducing our jurisdiction."

Anakin's mouth opened and closed in exasperation. "But that's…that's…"

Obi-Wan nodded. "I know," he said, "but the problem is that people are _believing _him." When Anakin didn't reply he continued. "There are those in the Senate who _are _on our side, but Stokra's using this to get himself more support…"

"Against _us_," Anakin finished, glowering at the toes of his boots. "There's still something I don't understand, Obi-Wan," he said after a moment silence. "Why is it so important that I am at Gunray's trial? With everything that's going on isn't that a _bad _idea?"

Obi-Wan smiled quietly. "I can see what you mean, Anakin," he replied evenly. "But you're the only one that can give details about Sidious, and since Gunray and Sidious are connected well…"

Obi-Wan closed his arms slowly with some satisfaction. "You won't have long to wait though, the trial should take place in a matter of weeks."

Yet when Obi-Wan had left, promising he'd be back later, Anakin continued to stare at the wall.

_Great_, he though morosely, _something else to look forward to_.

--

"The absence of Senator Stokra of the Corporate Sector is deeply felt and must be fully attributed to the rebellious actions of vigilante Jedi," accused Jevan Tulil'ya of Bothawui. "Surely this is the time to settle once and for all the role of the Jedi in this new constitution," the Bothan continued, despite the voices of protest, "if the Jedi cannot control their members, then is it not up to us as a legislative body to ensure that they can?"

There were more shouts of protest as he finished, but there were several who clapped and cheered in support. Bail felt that he should say something, but would he just be shouted down? Fortunately, Danta stepped in.

"Naboo wishes to reminds thesa Bothawui not to speak lightly on thesa Jedi," Danta intoned after he was recognised. "Help us theysa did in the wars, save many many lives thesa Jedi did and died some did to do thees."

Yet Tulil'ya was not amused. "Yet even what the Jedi did during the war has to be brought into question," the Bothan said. "Need I remind Naboo of some of the questionable acts that were attributed to the Jedi? And the deaths that occurred after—"

"Point of order, Senator," interrupted Amedda. "The Chair wishes to advise Bothawui that the events of the Clone Wars are not up for debate. And neither is the notion of trying the Jedi for acts that can be best described as circumstantial."

"Choose your words carefully, Chancellor," threatened Tulil'ya. "This body is well aware that you hold your office because it suits the purposes of the Jedi Council."

At this the Senate erupted into a chaos that not even Dekau could disperse. At the centre of it was Tulil'ya, the eye of the growing storm. Tulil'ya met Amedda's eye without hesitation as the noise continue to grow in the Senate chamber.

-- 

It did not take long for Anakin to outline the facts as he knew them to the Jedi Council. There was also the report of the Senate security as well as Stokra's long-winded allegations. 

There were also some rather disturbing facts that needed consideration, such as the Twi'lek receptionist. Her body had been subject to autopsy yet there were no visible marks that caused her death. And then there was the body of one of the guards; apparently his windpipe had been closed.  
The official reports had been unable to account for this, yet Yoda knew otherwise. Only a trained Force-user could have done such a thing, the question was who?

Yoda set his mouth in a firm line as he viewed Anakin Skywalker. From the very day of his entry into the Temple he had caused trouble, and most of the trouble usually seemed to find him. Yoda knew that Anakin was not responsible for what happened to Stokra, yet who actually was behind the attack remained an unresolved question.

"Know you do that no proof we have of you not being involved, young Skywalker," Yoda said gravely.

Anakin bowed his head in assent. "I am well aware of this," he said, staring at the tops of his boots to avoid the Jedi Master's penetrating gaze. "But surely someone had to have seen something?"

"Of course," replied Obi-Wan dryly. "But anyone we ask will probably assume that it was you anyway, that's the way it is with asking witnesses: they see what they want to see."

Yoda shook his head. "Wrong to speculate on this we are," he muttered, "focus we must on the actual attacker."

"Could his actions expose him?" Obi-Wan asked. "Perhaps through arrogance he will reveal himself—" 

"Unlikely," disagreed Shaak Ti. "The attacker may even have been hired just to do this little stunt."

"Master Yoda, may I request the Council to allow me to search for this attacker?" Anakin asked, his voice was hopeful, his face bordering on eager. Obi-Wan made to protest. but Yoda prevented him.

"Speak well, you do Anakin," the Jedi Master approved, he looked to Obi-Wan. "Looks well it does for us, but limit your search to Coruscant you must."

"I understand." Anakin bowed his head again, feeling his elation rising. He had a mission finally, even if it did mean he stayed on Coruscant.

"Quickly you must move, Anakin if you are to succeed," Yoda urged, "may the Force be with you."

--

Yet when Anakin had gone, the conversation turned darker.

"Necessary it was for young Skywalker to search for this attacker," Yoda murmured, "yet like this I do not, too convenient it is with Gunray's trial."

"And there's still the question of the identity of the attacker," added Obi-Wan., "we know he's Force-sensitive, yet that barely limits it."

"Could it be another Sith?" suggested Bant 

The other Jedi Masters turned to look at her. While Obi-Wan wanted to deny this, citing that Sidious was the last of the Sith line, the existence of Darth Typhon had proven the Sith Lord's sentiments on the supposed Rule of Two.

"Close our eyes to this we cannot," averred Yoda, "yet curious it is that Senator Stokra was the target."

"Yet who can know the mind of a Sith?" queried Nat Sem. "We were all deceived during the war away from where the Sith were hiding."

"Bodes well this does not," agreed Yoda in a low voice, "meditate on this I will." 


	11. Chapter 11

A datafile flashed into the view, the holocron gave general specifics such as species, gender and a few details on background and age in standard years. Yet it was the information at the bottom of the readout that Bail Organa was focused on: EXECUTED FOR TREASON.

Bail sighed, while he had no fond feelings whatsoever about the late San Hill whose file he was viewing, he still had reservations about the sentence that had been given. It was not so much about any sort of justice, more a political ploy to show that something was being done to heal the wounds that war had left in the Republic.

But as far as Bail was concerned, there were better ways to do that.  
He reviewed the rest of the files one by one.

Poggle the Lesser: EXECUTED

Wat Tambor: EXECUTED

Passel Argente: LIFE IMPRISONMENT

The long arm of justice in the Republic, formerly known to be slow-moving and easy to bribe, had gone from that to being swift and harsh. Mostly caused by the loud voices of senators wanting blood for blood.

Yet there were a few other cases where things had gone a bit awry, like the case of Rune Haako. He had been initially sentenced to death, yet the Neimoidian had saved his own neck by giving information about Gunray. His sentence had been commuted to thirty years.

And then there were ones like Po Nudo and Tikkes who had taken their own lives before the sentence was carried out; the former facing life imprisonment, the later execution.

Finally, there was the case of Shu Mai who had been killed before she could be brought to trial. Bail still had reservations if her death was the accident it was reported to be, given it involved her starship exploding.

Yet these reports were but a sterile record of what had taken place, they spoke nothing of the in-fighting amongst the Separatists following the end of the war, nor was there anything about the worlds that were decimated by these attacks. Bail had argued against this at the time, and had quite a lot of support in the Senate, yet in the end he had had to give in; as the Separatists were made to answer for their crimes _during _the war, anything after was deemed as inadmissible. 

The long arm of the Republic had certainly fallen short in this case, or so Bail thought

At this moment his aide entered. "Senator, Master Kenobi is here," she told him, "shall I show him in?"

Bail nodded. "By all means," he said, shutting down the holoprojector just as the Jedi Master entered. 

"Apologies for the late hour, Senator," Obi-Wan said, bowing slightly.

Bail dismissed these with a wave of his hand. "No need to apologise, Master Kenobi." He gestured to the seat. "Please."

Obi-Wan compiled, yet looked not completely at ease. If truth need be told he had never completely given up his distrust of politicians, even though he knew Senator Organa of Alderaan was beyond reproach.

"I must say your return is somewhat later than expected," Bail observed.

"Let's just say there was some sort of delay," Obi-Wan admitted reluctantly, "but the fact is I arrived in one piece and the data is secure."

Bail raised an eyebrow curiously. "Shouldn't you be telling this to Danta? After all, it was he who advised the Jedi Council wasn't it?"

"I would have," Obi-Wan conceded, "except for the fact that I knew in advance that this was all _your _idea."

Bail chuckled. "And how could you have known that?"

Obi-Wan smiled wanly, crossing his arms. "Jedi intuition? A lucky guess?" He shook his head. "It was a foregone conclusion, so it was natural for me to come to you when I discovered there was a leak. Not that it'll do any good right now, given what Anakin did this morning."

"I heard," Bail said. "Is it simply a case of him being in the wrong place at the wrong time?"

"No, there's more to it," Obi-Wan replied, "according to Anakin, Stokra asked to see him. It just so happened that the attack happened prior to his arrival."

"That's no coincidence," Bail observed.

"I know," Obi-Wan agreed. "It sounds…_arranged_."

They were both silent for a moment.

"He's going to have a hard time making any connections," Bail said at last, "Political machines like Stokra normally have their political agendas on sub-light engines, they can change course at a moment's notice. Besides," Bail added, "Stokra's not the kind that would cut his own throat."  
Obi-Wan looked thoughtful. "I wouldn't be so sure," he murmured.

--

Against his better judgement and Obi-Wan's advice, Anakin returned to Senator Stokra's apartment the next morning. The night before had been untroubled by dreams so he was more than in control of himself when he entered. 

Several of the security officers eyed him curiously, yet turned their backs to him without asking questions. They were almost done processing the scene, that afternoon Stokra wanted them out of there, not that there was much to see any way.

Anakin left them to it, they probably wouldn't give him much information and he knew the real answers lay elsewhere. Much more elusive, and not detectable by any instruments.

Years ago on Avingnon, Kuan Yin Nevu had showed him how inanimate objects could still tell a story even in a situation where there was no witnesses. This was further heightened by what had happened to them, particularly if there had been violence.

He walked to the lightsaber gash on one of the halves of the desk, kneeling down and running his hand over the scar. This had happened fairly quickly, he could tell by the nature of the cut. He placed his hand firmly on the rounded edge, feeling through the Force, visualising the desk whole again… 

Anakin saw the blue lightsaber blade slicing through the air as it cleaved the desk in two, behind the desk he could see the flicker of a robe as Senator Stokra backed away.

"You'll never take me alive!" the senator shouted, feeling behind the wall for something.

Anakin looked behind him and up, Stokra's attacker was just at his back but his face was shrouded with a hood. 

A loud klaxon alarm started to blare.

"The general alarm," he heard Stokra say, "not even you Jedi can stop that." 

The attacker turned, his hood shifting slightly from his face as he moved. Yet this was not enough for Anakin, he needed more to identify him. The attacker swung a lightsaber, yet as Anakin watched its path through the air it missed Stokra completely. The shove with the Force sent Stokra against the wall, his skull cracking with the impact.

The attacker then stood there for a moment, and it was at this moment that Anakin saw his face. For a moment he started, it couldn't be possible. Then the attacker turned and left the room.

Anakin removed his hand from the desk, letting his senses bring him back to the present moment. It was then that he noticed that all the security officers were staring at him. Quickly he glanced at the chrono on the wall, two hours had passed. Anakin blinked, but what he had seen had only taken a few seconds!

He dismissed these queries and walked to the floor's security office, he would need the security footage to confirm his suspicions.

-- 

Obi-Wan found Anakin at one of the terminals in the archives and was somewhat surprised to see him looking pleased. Obi-Wan assumed it could only mean one thing.

"You found the assassin?" Obi-Wan asked, pulling up a chair to sit beside him. 

Anakin nodded. "I did, but there's something I still can't explain," he replied.

"Take me through it," Obi-Wan advised, "I'll see if there's any gaps in your findings."

Anakin pressed a few keys. "We'll start with the security footage," he said, "that's the only concrete evidence that I have."

Obi-Wan frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I used the desk to probe the Force," Anakin told him, "that way I was able to get a real good look at him." He pressed a few more keys, zooming in on one of the still images. "This is the best shot I could get of him," Anakin continued, "he seems to know where the cameras are."

Obi-Wan studied the image for a few minutes. It wasn't very clear. He could see a tall figure in a dark cloak carrying a blue lightsaber but that was about it. there were no distinguishing features. He couldn't even see the face properly. "That's all you can get?" he asked at last. 

"Hey, I'm not editing a Holodrama here!" Anakin protested.

"Okay, okay," Obi-Wan conceded. "So what have you done with that?"

Anakin brought another image to compare, it was of a Jedi that Obi-Wan vaguely recognised. "It's Shinai Stel-Ardak," Anakin told him, "and it matches up completely, height, build, everything. There's only one problem, with this." Anakin looked at him.

"I know," Obi-Wan agreed, "he's dead, been dead for about five years since the truce at Avingnon, but these things happen. We may have just lost track of him during the war, it's happened more than once." 

"But I was _there _when he died, Obi-Wan," Anakin argued, "I _saw _what happened to him, _no one_ could have survived that."

"What _did _happen to him?" Obi-Wan asked, looking at the details written next to Shinai's image. "It says here—"

"Speeder crash, on Avingnon," finished Anakin, "but that's only part of it. He was fighting Pad—" Anakin stopped, taking in a few quick breaths.

"Go on," Obi-Wan urged, "he was fighting, was it on top of the speeder?"

"Yes," Anakin replied, "while it was going."

"High through the air through a lot of traffic?" Obi-Wan asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes."

Obi-Wan shook his head, but he should have he been expected nothing different. "And did he fall?"

"Not just that," Anakin told him, "he was _impaled_."

"Impaled?" For a moment Obi-Wan's mind conjured up a grisly image. "In the chest?" 

"No, the stomach," Anakin said shortly.

"And why didn't you tell me this until now?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Because it wasn't me who did it," Anakin barked, looking at the screen with a red face.

"Ah." Obi-Wan chose to say nothing more for the moment. "You know there's something else  
wrong with this."

Anakin turned back to look at him. "What?" 

"It's not going to hold weight," Obi-Wan told him, he gestured to the image comparison. "These bio-readings, they can be easily replicated if someone had enough time."

Anakin frowned. "But why would anyone go to the bother of looking like someone that's dead?"

"Why go to the bother of looking like someone else at all?" Obi-Wan asked as he got to his feet, he placed a reassuring hand on Anakin's shoulder. "And that, my friend, is what you have to find out."

He left Anakin staring at the console.

--

"This constitution has been argued over long enough," declared Stokra, his head notably shinier at the back with synth-flesh, "we as a body have decided the bulk of it, yet there is one issue on which some of my noble colleagues refuse to compromise."

There were shouts of approval after he finished. The Chandrilla pod then entered the arena and it was recognised.

"Chandrilla fervently reminds the Senator from the Corporate Sector that the role of the Jedi in the Republic is a serious issue that cannot be taken lightly," Mon Mothma decreed, her dark eyes flashing at Stokra.

"Well spoken, Senator," remarked Stokra, "after all, it is not your own person that was subjected to a vicious attack, and by none other than a Jedi."

Shouts and jeers echoed through the chamber. 

Dekau called for order and Amedda eyed Stokra seriously. "The Senator for the Corporate Sector is warned," the Chancellor said, "such comments are not appropriate for this chamber."

"Since when it is inappropriate to speak the truth, Chancellor?" Stokra challenged. "Silence me if you must, but you know I speak the truth!"

Dekau called for order again and when it was re-established, Amedda continued to address Stokra.

"Even _you _know Senator, that it is erroneous to make accusations if they are based on circumstantial evidence—"

"Circumstantial?" Stokra repeated. "I must protest at your use of words, Chancellor." 

"And until the investigation on the attempt on your life has concluded," Amedda said, continuing as if he had not been interrupted, "any statements you make can only be taken as assumptions."

"Balderdash!" Stokra spat. "A Jedi has been arrested! You call _that _an assumption?"

"Point of order," Amedda warned, a dangerous tone coming into his voice, "the Jedi Order has its own jurisdiction that is quite outside the legislation of this body—"

"Which is why it must be brought under us!" Stokra interrupted. "How much longer will it be until there is _another _attempt on the life of a senator, I ask you?"

The Senate erupted again and this time there was nothing Dekau could do to curb the noise. Mas Amedda stood at the centre of it, his blue-skinned face looking awfully fragile. Stokra noticed this with glee, retreating his pod to its station with a triumphant smile. 


	12. Chapter 12

"I need to find someone," Anakin said, leaning against the bar casually and ignoring the drink her had ordered.

"Since when are you not?" came the answer.

Anakin was in a place called 'The Seventh Star'; a tapcaf at the lower end of the Uscru District of Coruscant. Like many places of its kind all over the galaxy, the drinks and food were secondary to the main bill of fare: information. Anakin had been in quite a few of these places in his search for the Separatist leaders. Corellia, Tatooine, Nar Shaddaa, Ord Mantell…it didn't matter, they were virtually all the same with the same sort of patrons seeking the same sort of services.

On Coruscant, 'The Seventh Star' was run by a Falleen female named Miarka. Known for using her pheromones for inducing unwitting customers to spend more than they had originally planned, she had first known Anakin when she discovered he could resist her chemical advances towards him.

Anakin hadn't wanted to give her any answers. After all, how could he compare anyone else to Padmé? And how could he even explain this to anyone else?

Consequentially Miarka had offered her services to him at cut rates—a rare thing for her—and she had been invaluable to him in the years since the Clone Wars.

"I didn't think that there were any more of the kind of people you were searching for, Skywalker," Miarka said pointedly. "Aren't they all dead or put away in boxes?" 

Anakin smiled. "Most of them." He placed his palm on the beaten durasteel. "This isn't that kind of thing though." 

"Oh?" Anakin could feel her pheromones rise with her polite surprise, but he didn't let them affect him.

"That's right," he said. "I'm after a bounty hunter."

Now she was _really _surprised. "Isn't that a kinda _strange _thing for a Jedi like yourself to be looking for?"

"Say what you like," Anakin averred, "but I'm looking for him, and you better not let him know if you see him."

Miarka's mouth formed a line. "How can I if you don't tell me his name, fly boy?"

"Shinai Stel-Ardak," Anakin told her. "Heard of him?"

Miarka thought for a moment. "Take a seat," she said finally. "I'll let you know when there's someone in the call box."

The 'call-box' she had referred to was the small room at the back used for the exchange of information. It was done in this way so as not to compromise either party. Anakin took a seat at a table away from the bar and ordered a drink from the droid waitress. When it came Anakin didn't touch it, he had only ordered it so he wouldn't be that conspicuous.

Eventually, Miarka called him back to the bar. "Someone wants to meet you," she said, then escorted towards the back of the bar. She drew a grubby curtain back and Anakin went inside.

It was a very small room, barely large enough for the table and two stools it contained. The room smelled of stale smoke and spilled drinks, but Anakin didn't notice it as he took the unoccupied stool. All he noticed was the room's other occupant: Notluwiski Papanoida, a blue-skinned, blue-bearded Wroonian baron that had been an intelligence agent during the war. He had provided the Jedi with intelligence back then, and not all of it was accurate. This made Anakin wonder why Miarka had brought him here at all. How far could he trust what Papanoida told him?

Papanoida seemed to be as surprised to see Anakin as Anakin was to see him. "I had no idea when Miarka mentioned Shinai Stel-Ardak that it would be another Jedi who wanted to know about him." He examined Anakin for a moment. "Don't you people keep tabs on your members?"

"Yes," Anakin replied rather stiffly. "But things like this can fall through the cracks, you know how it is."

Papanoida shrugged. "There are more ways of faking your own death than you would ever know about." 

"Whatever," Anakin said impatiently. "I need to get into contact with him, without him knowing about it."

The Wroonian baron raised his eyebrows. "Could be difficult, and he won't be that pleased when he realises the Jedi are looking for him." He placed a hand on the table top, his blue palm exposed. "I'll tell you, Skywalker, if you make it worth my while." Anakin put a few credit chips in Papanoida's hand and the Wroonian started talking again. "I have a comlink frequency here," he said, taking out a datapad and showing Anakin several numbers to memorise. "And, if you like, I could find out a bit more about him. You'd be better off going to Avingnon yourself, though." 

"Can't," Anakin told him after he memorised the frequency. "There's the trial, I have to stay on the Capital. That's why I came here."

Papanoida smiled. "Ah, that makes it faster and more intense," he said with a nod. "Are you interested?"

"Of course, I am," Anakin replied. "Is there anything more you can tell me right now?"

"Well, there's the fact that he killed a Jedi during the war," Papanoida said casually.

Anakin stared at him. "Why didn't you ever tell anyone else?"

"There wasn't a market for it," Papanoida told him. "I don't know the whole story other than it happened on Yag'Dhul just after the truce at Avingnon."

"I'll find out the rest myself," Anakin said. "Anything else?" 

Papanoida shook his head. "I'll have Miarka contact you when I have more information." He left the room without looking back.

--

In the small hours of the morning Obi-Wan's comlink buzzed, and since he had replaced the powercell that afternoon there could be only one other reason it was sounding at this hour.

He found Anakin in the Archives at a terminal, compared to himself Anakin looked wide awake and alert.

"Don't you ever get any sleep?" Obi-Wan complained as he sank into a chair beside Anakin.

"I don't want sleep," Anakin replied. 

"And this couldn't have waited for a better hour of the morning, or even the afternoon?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Stars and moons, Obi-Wan!" Anakin shouted. "It's not _that _early!" 

"So, what is this you have found that could not wait until later?" Obi-Wan asked.

In response, Anakin brought up an article about the late Adi Gallia. Reluctantly, Obi-Wan read the part that Anakin had indicated.

"I don't see anything wrong," he said at last, "it said she died when her ship was shot down over Yag'Dhul during the war."

"It's wrong," Anakin told him, "she survived the crash."

"And you know this how**?" **Obi-Wan asked sceptically.

"I asked the right people," Anakin replied.

"I see." Obi-Wan glanced at the article again. "So what _did _happen to her?"

"She was murdered," Anakin replied.

"And let me guess," Obi-Wan remarked dryly, "this was by Shinai Stel-Ardak." He leaned back in his chair and glanced at Anakin behind half-closed eyes. "Wonderful," he said, "just what I wanted to wake up in the middle of the night and come down here to find out."

Anakin ignored this.

"So, have you found him yet?" Obi-Wan asked in a tired voice.

"I'm getting there," Anakin said impatiently.

"Is there any use of me telling you to try and diversify your search?" Obi-Wan pressed.

Anakin glared at him. "I _know _I'm on the right track," he defended, "the only problem—"

"Is that you still don't have any proof," Obi-Wan finished for him. "How many times do I have to tell you this, Anakin? You can't bring this guy in unless you have _proof _that he is responsible, Stokra won't settle for anything less."

"The more I learn about this guy, Obi-Wan, the more I am convinced that Stokra is the one behind it all," Anakin told him.

"So what are you going to do?" Obi-Wan asked.

Anakin smiled. "I have a way to contact him," he told his former Master, "and I have a plan."

"Now why am I feeling worried?" Obi-Wan asked, giving his former apprentice a sceptical smile.

--

The next morning Obi-Wan was fixing the practise mats where they had been moved during his lesson. Most of the younglings had left for their next class, except one.

"Master Kenobi?" said a soft voice.

Obi-Wan turned to see Sona Cantari. He had watched her carefully in the days since his return, ever since she had left Anakin's cell without explanation. But try as he might, Obi-Wan could not guess the reason for the girl's continued predilection for his former apprentice. 

"What is it, Sona?" he asked her patiently. "I don't want to make you late for your next class."

"I…I just have a question," she answered, her dark eyes examining her face. 

"Is it something to do with the lesson?" Obi-Wan asked. "If you like, I can give you some further instruction some evenings."

"No, it's not about that," Sona said, her eyes flickering back to the floor nervously.

Obi-Wan considered this for a moment, he had never thought that Sona was the nervous type. Quiet perhaps, and shy even, yet she was remarkably confident in her abilities, even for her age.

Obi-Wan moved his hands to his side so he appeared less threatening, and he did not try to push her. He figured that since she had come to ask him something, she would and urging her on might make her edge away.

"I was wondering something," she said at last, her voice still not quite certain. "What is that stone that Jedi Skywalker carries with him?"

Obi-Wan frowned. "Sorry?"

"It's a round, black stone," she explained, "very shiny and smooth, yet when the light hits the surface it glows red." Sona looked up at him, her dark eyes wide. "I just thought I would…ask," she stammered, avoiding Obi-Wan's gaze again. "It…seemed important."

"It's a river stone," he told her, "I'm not sure where it comes from but it's Force-sensitive." He didn't tell her the rest of the story, of how Qui-Gon had given it to him many, many years ago and it had saved his memory from being erased on Phindar.

Sona's words shattered that memory. "And that's why he keeps it?" Her voice sounded dubious.

Obi-Wan shook his head. "I gave it to him, many years ago, when he was about your age," he explained, not quite sure what else to say.

Sona looked up at him; Obi-Wan could see his reflection in her eyes. There was a moment of silence.

"Yes," she said finally. "I think I understand."

--

That same morning Anakin got a call regarding a subject that he had been avoiding all this time: Gunray's trial.

"This is Skywalker," he said into the 'link.

"Jedi Skywalker, this is Taur Cel-Dral," said a voice. "I suppose you have heard of me?"

"No, I haven't, I don't watch the HoloNet," Anakin replied, disliking whoever it was from this moment onwards.

Even from the 'link Anakin could detect a sigh of distaste. "I will be making the case against Gunray in Viceroy Nute Gunray's trial," Cel-Dral explained. "It is important that I meet with you soon as it may be sooner than anyone has expected."

"I am very busy at the moment," Anakin said impatiently, hoping to get out of the whole business.

"I am willing to be accommodating," Cel-Dral said in a tight voice. "Would an hour from now suit you?"

"Not particularly," Anakin replied. "But they tell me that I have no choice. Where can I find you?"

Another disdainful sigh. "I have an office in the Courts Building," Cel-Dral told him. "Ask and you will find me without difficultly."

Anakin ended the communication there and went on his way. Regardless of who they may have been or who they represented, Anakin trusted lawyers almost as much as he trusted politicians. 


	13. Chapter 13

From behind his desk Supreme Chancellor Mas Amedda surveyed his guests with a somewhat wearied gaze. Bail Organa, Danta Pela, Mon Mothma, were at the fore front, asking and answering the questions yet there were others with them. Bel Iblis, Bana Bremmu, Chi Eekway who had been siding with the Loyalist Committee for some time. There were some new additions, too. Larell Perenine of Avingnon, Glea Surov of Dio among several others.

As always the proposal they put toward him warranted serious thought, yet that did not meant it was not surprising.

"A full Senate vote?" asked Amedda, his brow furrowing in concentration. "Are you sure this is wise?" 

"Provided the vote is taken anonymously," Mon Mothma said, her face was cool and composed.

"That is not what I am concerned about, Senators," confessed Amedda, he sighed deeply. "While we cannot predict the outcome of such a vote with _complete _accuracy," he paused, letting his words sink in. "This vote will mean the new constitution will be complete and an end of this 'caretaker' period."

"And either Tulil'ya, Jetrivian or another of Stokra's Variceans will propose the election of a new Supreme Chancellor," Bail continued, "and if Stokra wins—and he probably will as he has the numbers—we'll be back to where we were with Palpatine." He stroked his goatee thoughtfully, his dark eyes reluctant but determined. "But is there any other way out of this deadlock? I cannot see one short of calling off the fight completely, and neither do any of my colleagues here." 

"Thesa Gungans say that thersa honour in knowsing a fight cannot be win," Danta interjected.  
"Harder also is to settle, wesa accept that."

Amedda sighed again, this time with resignation. Even after knowing of Palpatine's treachery he still fervently believed in democracy and the Republic as much as his predecessor had claimed to. It had been a rude shock to Amedda when he discovered where Palpatine's loyalties had really lay—with himself.

Yet there still was the mess that Palpatine had left, a mess that he was still cleaning up four years later and the next Chancellor would either continue to do so or go back to Palpatine's former tactics. It was a losing battle and while he didn't want to admit it, Amedda felt tired of fighting it.

"How soon are you going to put this forward?" he asked Organa.

"This afternoon's session," Bail said. "That way if Stokra finds out he hasn't got much time to grease his arguments."

The room's comm unit buzzed and Amedda's aide told the Chancellor that his next appointment was here. The Senators made their farewells and left the room quietly confident.

Yet as they left the room they noticed who was waiting to see the Chancellor and it was no small surprise. Stokra was there with Tulil'ya and Jetrivian as well as several others from his coalition. The green-skinned politician gave Organa a cold look that was reminiscent of a venomous reptile.

"Here again, Organa?" Stokra sneered. "Isn't the Chancellor under the control of your Jedi friends that you have to be here too?"

"I don't need to _control _anyone," Bail returned smugly, "but it's a tactic _you _employ all the time, I recall."

Stokra gave the Alderaanian senator an arch look before entering the Chancellor's office yet chose to say nothing.

--

The Galactic Courts of Justice Building, usually known as the Courts Building, was a large rather imposing building situated in As the lawyer had said, Anakin only had to ask for Cel-Dral and he got directed to his office. He then had a quick word to the girl outside wearing a Tholoth headdress and he was inside.

Taur Cel-Dral rose to receive the Jedi. "Ah, Jedi Skywalker." He smiled as he shook hands. "Our star witness, some are calling you."

"Under protest," Anakin said, taking the seat when offered.

"Of course, of course," Cel-Dral gushed and for a moment Anakin was uncomfortably reminded of Palpatine.

Yet the two could not have been more unalike. Cel-Dral was short, his head was perfectly bald with blue tattoos on his face and scalp. He was rotund with several chins, short stubby fingers and a wide false grin that made Anakin feel slightly nervous. 

Anakin kept to the first impressions he had formed of him. he had not liked Cel-Dral when they had spoken; he still did not like him.

The little man signalled for a feminine-looking droid wearing a red mini-dress. He looked at Anakin.

"Can I offer you any refreshment?" he asked.

Anakin glared at him. "I came to talk to you about the trial," he said in a tight voice. 

With a dry smile Cel-Dral dismissed the droid and opened a few files on his desk.

"I need to ask you a few questions of course now so I'll know what to ask in the trial," he explained, then looked up at Anakin. "You _do _know the date has been set, don't you?"

"No, I didn't," Anakin told him.

"In two days," he answered, giving a thin smile. "Fortunately I have most of my case. B'Dun has been very thorough and there's the data from Naboo that has been brought over as well as several witnesses from there that are arriving tomorrow." He brought out several datasheets and then activated an audio recorder on his desk. "Yet what I wanted to speak to you about was something they call a Sith Lord."

"Sidious," Anakin said promptly, for a moment Padmé's face flashed before his eyes.

"Yes, that is his name," Cel-Dral agreed. "And as far as I am aware you are the only one who has spoken with him, apart from Gunray of course."

"That is not completely true," Anakin explained. "As you know we all knew Sidious as Palpatine, and that was how I knew him most of the time."

"True, true," concurred Cel-Dral. "Yet I heard you were there when he…well…_died _though that may be a bit of an understatement considering what…_happened _to him."

Anakin ignored this last remark. "I was with—another Jedi and we confronted him on what he had done." Anakin looked past Cel-Dral for a moment, focusing on the abstract painting on the wall behind him.

"Did he deny this?"

Anakin gave a snort of surprise. "Of course not! He _revelled _in it! And after all he had the right, he had was more or less in control of the whole galaxy. It pretty much all started with Naboo when he used the blockade to get elected as Chancellor."

"I have heard all this, you know," Cel-Dral said, "and it's not going to help at all, it's going to help Sarn Retray that's what."

Anakin stared at him. "Who?"

"Gunray's lawyer," Cel-Dral explained, "and he isn't happy the fact he has the case."

_Who would be?_ Anakin added in thought.

"So Gunray's involvement with Sidious," Cel-Dral continued, "what can you tell me about that?"

"Not much," Anakin admitted. "I know that in the later part of the war Grievous was giving Gunray orders which came from Sidious himself."

"Anything else?" Cel-Dral pressed

Anakin shook his head. "I can answer questions about Sidious, but nothing to do with Gunray," he said. "The most I saw of the Viceroy was when I've been tracking him for the last several months, and some of the things I heard then weren't pretty." 

Cel-Dral grinned at this and edged the recorder closer. "Tell me."

Anakin proceeded to explain what he had found out in Gunray's frantic flight to avoid detection and any attempt to trace. Not the simple leaving a motel in the middle of the night to avoid paying, this would have been reprehensible enough if Anakin had not seen what he had during the war. Bribing local officials that he had had deals with in the past to get through security…using some of his droids to storm starships in order to steal them…leaving a group of immigrants to die when Gunray had paid them to help him…it was a long despicable list and Anakin hoped it would help give the Neimoidian what was deserved.

"What else do you want to know?" Anakin asked when he was done.

Cel-Dral was speechless for a moment, but not for long. "I think that will do to go on for now, Jedi Skywalker," he said, shutting down the recorder and gathering the papers. "If you'll excuse me I have to compile these and I'll see you at the trial." He got to his feet and led Anakin out of the office. "We'll have a few words before I put you on the stand, but with what you've told me I don't think there's much to worry about."

"Of course," Anakin said, glad to take his leave and go back to the Temple.

-- 

With a blindfold covering her eyes, Martreyea willingly allowed herself to be led by her husband to she knew not where. Shinai had merely come back that afternoon after being absent all morning and  
said he had a surprise for her.

When the family has disembarked the speeder bus, Shinai had covered his wife's eyes, held his son Arrin by the hand and gave no clues away as to where they were going.

"Will I like where we're going, Dad?" Arrin asked as they stepped into a turbolift, he seemed to have repulsors in his heels from the way he moved.

"You better," Shinai told his son, sending a smile down to him. "I don't think they'll let us take it back."

They left the turbolift and were walking down the corridor. At a door they stopped and Shinai keyed in a code.

"One-one-three-eight," he said as he pressed the keys, "remember that."

"Why?" Martreyea asked, her eyes were still blindfolded.

"You'll see," Shinai promised, gently pushing her in the door after is slid open. He then untied the blindfold.

"Wow!" Arrin asked, staring around him with wide eyes. "Is this all ours?"

"Yes," Shinai said as she keyed the door closed, "it is." He turned to Martreyea, she hadn't spoken yet. "Is there anything wrong?" 

His wife smiled uneasily, her eyes filled with tears. They were standing in the antechamber of a modest but spacious apartment with large windows that took up an entire wall. It was furnished tastefully, with one open doorway leading off to the kitchen and living area and another to the bedrooms.

Shinai caught her in his arms. "Well?" Martreyea's lip quivered, yet she said nothing. "What's wrong? Don't you like it." 

"It's…wonderful," she murmured, smiling as she was taking it all in. "Is it ours?"

"Every bit," he told her.

She blanched. "But how…?"

Shinai placed a finger on her lips and her questions subsided, Martreyea knew better than to doubt how he could provide for her and their son.

"Mom! Dad!" Arrin came bouncing into the room, grinning widely. "This is great! Which room's mine?"

Shinai looked from his wife to his son and then back at his son. It was moments like this that made what he did all the more worthwhile.

--

Obi-Wan was still thinking his exchange with Sona over when he saw Anakin sometime later. For a moment he considered questioning his former apprentice on the matter, then decided against it given what Anakin's reaction would be.

So instead he asked how the investigation with Shinai was going on.

"I'm still following up the Avingnon leads," Anakin told him, relating his conversation with Papanoida. "There's more information, he says, but I don't have it yet."

"Have you considered he could be lying?" Obi-Wan asked him, he still remembered the intelligence Papanoida had given the Council during the war that there was no Separatist presence on Utapau. Information that Obi-Wan later found out to be false when Grievous was hiding there.

"Yes, I have," he confessed, "but I was hoping to find him myself before that, I have his comlink code and…a few ideas."

Obi-Wan gave him a side-ways glance, seeing what Anakin was getting to. "Are you sure this will work?"

Anakin shrugged. "No, I'm not," he admitted, "and I might need a little help too."

"I see." Obi-Wan offered no more questions. "There's something else you should know, Gunray's trial."

At these words Anakin's expression hardened. "What about it?"

"The date's been set," Obi-Wan told him.

"I've heard," Anakin said, avoiding Obi-Wan's gaze. "I was just with Cel-Dral." 

Obi-Wan examined Anakin's expression. "You don't like him."

Anakin shook his head. "It doesn't matter," he said. "He asked me a bunch of questions and he's going to do more of that at the trial. It's nothing."

Obi-Wan wasn't convinced.

--

Not for the first time, Sarn Retray wondered how he had gotten stuck with Gunray's case. It was perhaps one of the most unenviable positions that he could possibly be in. 

Gunray was bankrupt, or so he had said, shouted and screamed during the time of his imprisonment and blamed everyone from Count Dooku, to Grievous to Palpatine himself. Consequentially Sarn had been 'appointed' as Gunray's defence attorney, and while he wanted to see the Neimoidian pay for his crimes as much as the next sentient, he knew that if he hadn't agreed to take the case then someone else would have had to.

He had spent hours with the Viceroy, probing him, proposing angles and strategies and even shouting at the Neimoidian until he was hoarse. Retray knew he had to find a plausible defence otherwise there would be grounds for appeal which would only further exacerbate the situation he was in. But his search had not been fruitless, he had, he believed, found an angle that he could work with.

Retray only knew of the Force by reputation, and had as much of an idea of what a Sith Lord was as a granite slug knew the interior of Chancellor Amedda's private apartments. But he knew the name Darth Sidious would be brought up at least more than once during the trial by his opponent, Taur Cel-Dral. Retray intended to use that for all it was worth by painting Gunray in a light that he was well used to, that of the victim.

And this was something that the Neimoidian didn't object to as Retray explained it to him. At first he had been apprehensive of this fair-haired human who said he would be representing him, but even Gunray knew that protesting would only get him a new lawyer, and perhaps a worse one than Retray.

"Cel-Dral's going to have a very convincing case and he has public opinion on his side," Retray told him. "We need to show that his argument is flawed, he's going to try and show you as a callous, pitiless despot with little regard for the lives of others and we have to show him he's _wrong_." 

"He is!" Gunray bleated, slamming his fist on the table between them. "It was Sidious! I didn't know that Dooku was working for him and by the time I found out it was too late!"

"I also found something quite interesting," Retray said, ignoring the outburst and stroking his thin moustache. "Apparently Sidious thought of you were dispensable and he had plans to do away with you."

"I'm not surprised," Gunray murmured, "he had that witch Maxah onto us in case we did something wrong and—" 

With his hand Retray made a slicing motion. "We can't bring Naboo into this much," he reminded the Neimoidian, "and even if we do we're going to have to be _very _careful as anything here can be easily struck as inadmissible."

The petulant Viceroy stared at him. "But that's ridiculous!" he spat.

Retray gave a thin smile. "Ridiculous or not, the last thing we want to do is load Cel-Dral's blaster for him." 

He returned to his notes, showing the Viceroy various parts yet keeping some to himself. Retray had no illusions about an acquittal, what he was hoping for was a lighter sentence that wouldn't be seen as too light. He didn't want to be in the same room with Gunray any longer than necessary.


	14. Chapter 14

"There's no need to boast to me about your capabilities, Artoo," retorted Threepio to his short, squat counterpart. "Just because Master Anakin has enhanced the specifications you were made with, does not in any way make you superior."

Artoo made a soft whine. 

"In fact," continued the protocol droid loftily, "I think those upgrades have made you worse."

The astromech droid took offence to this, rolling towards Threepio and making loud, rude noises.

"Upstart!" accused C-3PO, carefully avoiding the little droid's advances on him. "Just watch we're your going you little—"

"Threepio!"

The voice was low and patient, yet it managed to do what it intended. Anakin cast a wary eye over the two droids before he put his mind back to what he was working on: a device that could track comlink transmissions and pinpoint them to a location somewhere on Coruscant. There was already the technology for this, but Anakin's was different. He had managed to build it so it worked even when there were no calls being made and there would be no trace of him tampering with the frequencies.

Yet the easiest way to do this was to plug it into Artoo, and for that he needed Threepio to translate as Anakin had yet to find away to find out what the little astromech was saying without his taller, lankier and above all annoying counterpart.

He snapped the case close and then extended the cable to plug it into Artoo's datajack. After adjusting the controls, he tapped Artoo's dome.

"Okay, let it run," he said.

With a soft beep, Artoo ran the program. It took only a few minutes then he chortled softly to Anakin.

Anakin turned to Threepio. "What did he say?" 

"Well, he seems slightly over confident in his assertions—" 

"Cut the frag," Anakin interrupted, "just tell me!" 

Without wasting another moment on superlatives, Threepio compiled. Grinning, Anakin activated his own comlink. "Obi-Wan?" 

There was a quick crackle of static and the Jedi answered. "Yes Anakin?" As Anakin had asked him in order to test the device, Obi-Wan was standing in some undisclosed part of Coruscant and it was up to Artoo to find him.

_It's like an elaborate game of hide and seek_, Anakin realised with a grin. 

"Let's hope this works," Obi-Wan's voice said over the 'link, he sounded slightly impatient. "I have other things to do Anakin, tell me where I am."

"You're outside Dex's Diner," Anakin told him. "Where he is now, not where he was before the war."

This difference was vital as the two places were quite far apart. More importantly, Anakin hadn't been to the new place, though Obi-Wan said it had much been improved even though Dex was still sore about the ruins the Separatist attack on Coruscant had left his premises in.

"That's it," Obi-Wan confirmed. "Is that enough?"

"It'll do," Anakin told him. "Though it'll take me a few days to catch him, there's nothing more that I hate than chasing wild banthas." 

"Which is why you do it all the time," Obi-Wan rebuked before severing the communication.

--

Later, that same afternoon, Obi-Wan walked through the Temple beside Yoda's floating chair. Obi-Wan's face was pensive, they were talking about Anakin.

"I have a feeling he's slowly getting there," Obi-Wan confided to the little Jedi Master, "but getting him to acknowledge it is something else."

Yoda murmured in agreement, for a moment he considered telling Obi-Wan about the talk he had had with Anakin. He decided against it, if Anakin wanted to tell his former Master about his dreams he already would have. 

"Face up to what he is avoiding, he will with Gunray's trial," Yoda asserted, running over the new information he had received that morning. "Question him they will on Sidious."

"He knows that," Obi-Wan said with a sigh, "and as far as I know, it's only the trial that's keeping him here. Give Anakin the word and he'll be off without a glance behind him."

"Not so sure of that I am," mused Yoda.

Obi-Wan looked at him in surprise. "What do you mean?"

Yoda smiled quietly. "Say nothing I will until know you do yourself what it is I speak of." 

--

Arrin had been warned by his father to stay out of the end room in the new apartment. To make the point understood, his father had locked the door and explained this at some length not to go in there.

Yet all the warnings and explanations there are cannot curb the curiosity of a small boy. Especially when the room in question had been left unlocked.

The moment his father was engaged in conversation with his mother Arrin had crept towards the room, holding his breath with the excitement of the moment. He stopped at the door, his hand reaching up for the handle and he slowly, quietly, pushed it open.

For a moment he stood in the doorway, staring at what was inside. Then cautiously, tentatively he entered. There was a workbench in the middle of the room with tools on it and droid parts, near the window was a low couch and in the corner was a tall cupboard with a large lock in the centre. Yet one of the doors was open and Arrin peered in.

Sitting on one of the shelves level with Arrin's eyes was a smooth metal cylinder about the length and width of his arm. With an excited look in his eyes Arrin picked it up, examining it all over. Was this what he thought it was? Could it be…really? Could it?

"Arrin?" The boy froze and the sound of his father's voice, clutching the metal cylinder close to his chest. "Arrin, where are—"

Shinai paused in the doorway, staring down at his son with a disappointed expression. "Arrin, didn't I tell you not to come into this room?"

Arrin paled. "Yes, Dad but—"

"I may have forgotten to lock the door but that doesn't mean that you should come in here." He held out his hand. "Give me what you're holding."

Arrin held it out but didn't let go. "What is it? Is it a Je—"

"_Give _it to me!" Shinai thundered, reaching for it in the Force so it flew out of Arrin's grip, through the air and into his hand.

Arrin stared at his father dumbfounded, tears in the corner of his eyes.

"Now, we leave," Shinai said, he crossed the room and replaced the lightsaber back in the closet then locked it by stroking the lock with his finger. He then grabbed hold of his son's shoulder and ushered him out of the room and locked the door behind them.

"Why can't I go in there?" Arrin asked. "There's nothing scary or danger—"

"You listen to me," Shinai interrupted, grabbing the boy's shoulders and forcing him to look up. "I don't want you to go in that room and that's final, you understand?" 

Hot tears were wetting Arrin's face. "But…but…" 

Shinai's grip tightened. "_Understand_?" 

"Y-y-y-yes," Arrin stammered, hanging his head to hide his reddened cheeks. "I'm sorry, I didn't know you meant it like that."

"Well, now you do know," Shinai said, straightening up to his full height. He touched his son's head gently, wondering how he could have been so…so…_harsh _with the boy. Had he _really _done that? Arrin's wounded brown eyes told him all he needed to know.

"Go wash your face and hands," Shinai told him, smiling and letting all anger come out of his tone. "Dinner's almost ready."

--

Anakin didn't know exactly when he fell asleep, in fact he didn't know that he was asleep until he realised he was having one of the dreams again. He tried to fight it, stop whatever was going to happen from happening. But he was helpless.

He could feel a hard table beneath him and a strong light overheard that dazzled his eyes. Yet these sensations were merely secondary compared to the immense _burning _pain that he was in. It was like another one of his dreams, yet it was not. There he had been encased in some sort of black shell that covered his torso, here…something else was happening.

Sharp metal probes were pricking his arms and when he moved to fight them off he noticed _he didn't have hands_. The right was replaced with a mechanical prosthetic like Padmé's had been, and the left was only a stump. He could hear himself scream as the droids around him stabbed and jabbed and prodded…yet he could not work out what they were doing.

He didn't have legs either and had no idea why he didn't have them. All he could see were the replacements the droids had given him attached to the scarred stumps on his lower body.

His skin! Why hadn't he noticed it before? It was mangled beyond belief, burnt and scarred to the point where he could see blood vessels pumping away. For a moment, he wondered if the rest of him looked like that. It was not a comforting thought.

They were enclosing him now and he could hardly move, pinning down the re-attached limbs so he couldn't move.

"No!" he screamed, fighting them off but their grip was too strong and his was too weak.

Something black was hovering over his head, coming closer and closer to completely enclose his face.

"NO! NO!" Anakin screamed, but there was nothing he could do as the black mask came down.

Their was a pause and then he felt his lungs fill with air in a slow hiss just like…just like his other dream and he could escape this one as easy as he had that one.

But there was something else, a vision or dream within a dream that floated past his face and whispered in his ears.

_Anakin!_

Padmé? She sounded as if she was pain, like when she was being tortured by Sidious.

_Padmé, they need you, hang on._

Was that Obi-Wan's voice? He sounded…like he was pleading with her. 

_I…I can't…_

And that _was _Padmé. Her voice was weak and laboured as if…she was breathing her last. 

"No, Padmé!" He couldn't lose her again, couldn't _face _losing her again.

_Save your energy._

His voice sounded urgent now, Anakin could just see him. His face fearful, holding something in his arms. Padmé was lying below him, the same expression on her face as when Anakin had last held her.

_Obi-Wan_…barely a whisper, _there…is still good in him. I know there is…still…_

Her eyes closed and for a moment he could feel her in the Force again. Feel her spirit call out to his, spent and fragile, and then die like a drop of rain before a rising sun.

"Anakin?"

That was Obi-Wan's voice, but not faint like in his dream. This was loud, curt and _right _in his ear.

"Anakin, wake up!" He felt his face being slapped, Anakin opened his eyes and the dream faded away into the concerned features of Obi-Wan.

"Wha…what happened?" Anakin asked, wiping his eyes and looking around him. It was early morning, had he been here the _whole _night?

"You were asleep," Obi-Wan said, "and I heard you shouting." 

Anakin stared at him, his expression wary. "What was I saying?"

Obi-Wan frowned. "Why don't _you _tell _me_?"

Anakin shook his head, getting to his feet. "It's not something I want to talk about," he muttered, yet Obi-Wan's firm hand on his shoulder prevented him from going anywhere.

"Anakin, how long have you been having these dreams?" He sounded genuinely concerned.

"Long enough," Anakin replied.

This didn't satisfy him. "_How _long?" 

"They've been on and off since…since…" He searched for the words. "Since it happened."

"You could have told me," Obi-Wan gently reproached.

"There were other things," Anakin told him.

Obi-Wan crossed his arms and glared at him. "You're not going to use that excuse with me," he warned. "Remember the real reason you're still here on Coruscant?"

Anakin averted his eyes. "I thought you had forgotten all about that."

"Don't think I'll hold you here longer if I feel I have to," Obi-Wan reproached. "Whatever you were dreaming Anakin, it was certainly what you've refused to acknowledge for yourself for so long. Dreams can do that to you." 

At this, Anakin stared at him. "You've been talking to Master Yoda, haven't you?"

"I didn't have to in order to find out what was going on," Obi-Wan told him. "I've watched you try and push this away from the past few days, but it follows you, doesn't it?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Anakin lied, walking away and hoping Obi-Wan would take the hint.

But he wouldn't, Obi-Wan grabbed him by the sleeve. "Look, I know you want this to stop," he said. "But there's only one way to stop these dreams and whatever else it is that's haunting you."

"Oh yeah?" Anakin replied sceptically. "And what's that?"

"Confront them," Obi-Wan said as if the answer was obvious, giving Anakin a wary look and then leaving.

--

Later, in a room in the Temple, Obi-Wan watched the holographic Bail Organa give his speech in the Senate. Yoda and several other Jedi were with him.

Given what he knew was coming, Obi-Wan didn't disagree.

"Too long we have debated over the new constitution," Organa said. "And too long have others and myself held out for altruistic or self-interest reasons, yet this standstill has gone on long enough."

There was a cheer of agreement.

"What I propose," continued Bail, "is that the remainder of the constitution—and this is a relatively small part may I add—is voted upon by the Senate and not the Constitutional Committee." He paused and there were murmurs, yet he did not pause for long. "I am speaking of Article Ten, Clause Seventeen, for which two alternatives have been proposed. These are displayed for reference as the subject of this vote will be for one or the other. This is what I put to this body, as we all agree that the Republic must move away from the effects of the war that devastated us, and we can no longer make excuses for this." 

There was applause after Organa finished, yet Obi-Wan's face was expressionless. In his mind he counted to ten.

At four Stokra's pod entered the arena, his face contemptuous and eyes smarting.

"That was fast," Obi-Wan whispered, "even for him."

Yoda's ears twitched as he watched but he did not reply.

"I must say that Organa of Alderaan's proposal is nothing short of reprehensible and entirely without precedent," Stokra began, revelling in the moment of being the centre of attention. "And might I remind my noble colleagues that the Constitutional Committee was formed to present the draft of the new constitution to the Senate. Not, as Organa of Alderaan proposes, to hand it over to the Senate if the committee is deadlocked due to the political agenda of those that continue to call themselves Loy-al-ists." He said the word long and laboured as if its very existence was a joke, titters were heard from his supports before he continued. "Furthermore—"

"That will do, Stokra," growled Amedda. He spoke in a low voice yet that was enough to curtail the senator's speech. "The Corporate Sector was not recognised by the chair and if I recall the rules of procedure, they _clearly _state that representatives must wait to be recognised before they begin to speak. Not," added Amedda, "to merely sail in as you have done or otherwise the Senate will be little more than a slanging match."

There were shouts of protest against this, but Obi-Wan wasn't smiling. But he knew Stokra too well to assume that it would end there.

"If one was to take recent events into account, Chancellor," Stokra said slowly, his eyes burrowing into the Chagrian's, "one may say that you are not as neutral in this issue as you appear to be."

Murmurs and whispers followed this remark which was as close to a direct accusation as Stokra had gone yet. Obi-Wan noticed Yoda muttering to himself.

"Bodes well this does not," the little Jedi Master said. "Muddies the waters this does, makes the truth harder to see."

Obi-Wan found he didn't have an answer.

"The Senator of the Corporate Sector is warned," Amedda intoned, his deep voice rising above the murmur of noise. "And is reminded that unless he has something to say directly about this vote he had better hold his peace or he may be removed from the chamber."

Stokra made as if to say something then decided against it. Cursing under his breath he retreated his pod back to his box while all the while there were jeers of protest around the chamber.

Dekau called for silence and Amedda spoke again.

"The issue for debate is whether the remainder of our new constitution will be up for a full Senate vote," he said. "Will there be any to second this motion?"

At this the Avingnon pod moved to join the Alderaan one. "Avingnon seconds the motion," Senator Perenine affirmed, catching Bail's eye for a moment. "We also wish to move that the vote shall be taken anonymously so that no affiliations or views will influence this."

Stokra was about to move against this, but Bel Iblis beat him too it. "Corellia also supports this vote, and seconds the motion of anonymity."

Amedda seemed satisfied with this. "Are there any objections?" He directed this question at Stokra yet the green-skinned senator chose not to respond.

"Good move," murmured Obi-Wan approvingly. "Let's hope he _stays _quiet."

Yoda shook his head and looked depreciatingly at Obi-Wan. "Let rest this he will not," he asserted, his voice grave. "Bad feeling about this I have."

--

Even though he had not expected to hear from his contact again, the Zabrak had called him and they had arranged for a meeting an hour from now in the lower levels of the Uscru District.  
Martreyea was at first against his going. "It's late," she pointed out. "Do you have to leave at this time of night?"

Shinai smiled wanly. "I can't choose the time or place, they do," he told her, touching her face gently. "Arrin's asleep, he won't even know that I'm gone." He pulled on his coat and kissed Martreyea on the cheek. "I won't be long," he promised, leaving her in the apartment.

With a shudder, Martreyea sat down and tried to think of something else. But still the question remained: why did her husband have to take this line of work? Couldn't he have refused as he promised her he would some day?

--

After running the program for most of the day, Anakin had finally been able to locate Shinai and set out to find him, keeping in contact with Artoo and Threepio via comlink in case Shinai moved. As much as he hated it, he still needed Threepio to translate what Artoo said as it was the astromech droid that was running the program.

The search to Anakin back to the Uscru District, the lower end, near The Seventh Star and several other establishments of a rather disreputable character. But that was as specific as Artoo could get, unlike Obi-Wan's comlink Shinai's was somewhat harder to trace.

With a sigh, Anakin went in to one of the many clubs and bars along Vos Gesal Street.

-- 

The Zabrak was to meet him at Luba Luft's, a place where lithe females of many colours and species flitted amongst and on tables to distract the customers long enough to make them part with credits.

Shinai took a table near the front and ordered a drink, ignoring what was going on around him.  
Sometimes there were advantages to not having eyes. Within an hour he spied the Zabrak approaching him.

"My employer is very pleased with your services," the Zabrak said as the music reached a deafening level.

Shinai smiled quietly. "I do my job and get paid," he replied, tossing back his drink.

"He's asked me to approach you with another proposal. The Zabrak slid a datapad across the table with the instructions.

Quickly Shinai scanned through what was there, he then looked up at the Zabrak. "This is going to be more," he told him. "This place is locked up tighter than a Hutt's bank account."

"My employer understands that," the Zabrak reassured. "But he wants to know _now _if you'll take it, this is rather urgent."

"Why such short notice?" Shinai asked. "This guy's going to be around for a while, and _they _may get to him before _I _do."

The Zabrak did not answer. Shinai summoned the droid waiter to order another drink, he needed time to think this over.

When the waiter returned with his drink Shinai had made up his mind.

"I'll take it," Shinai said, sipping his drink, "but only because I need the money, I have expenses."

The Zabrak chose not to comment on this. He handed a datacard to Shinai. "Everything's on there including how much you'll be paid." He got to his feet. "You will not see me again."

Shinai went through the data again, slowly this time. This was _not _going to be easy, not like last time when there was virtually no security system as it had been in the middle of the day.

Yet he knew he could do it. He had the Force.

--

Anakin was emerging back onto the street when a tremor in the Force made him look around. He scanned the crowd until his gaze settled on a black-haired humanoid figure walking away from him.  
Within a moment Anakin was after him, always keeping a reasonable distance between Shinai and himself. 

While he had done surveillance before, prior to, during and after the war, Anakin knew that this was very different. Shinai had been a Jedi, so it was safe to assume that he still had a Jedi's instincts. Shinai even showed signs that he suspected he was being followed, quickening and slackening his pace, stopping every now and again and 'going complete' a few times.

It was when Shinai entered a crowded club that Anakin lost him. Enraged, he probed the Force for Shinai's presence. This was what Shinai had wanted.

Suddenly Shinai appeared at his elbow, his hand firmly over Anakin shoulder.

"Outside, Skywalker," Shinai whispered. "Now!" He forced the Jedi outside and pushed him against a wall. For a moment Shinai did not say anything, he was seething with rage. "Why all this?" he asked at last. "Why were you following me?"

Anakin was not the least intimidated. "Senator Stokra," he said simply.

Shinai didn't flinch at the name. "What I do is none of your business."

But this was clearly the wrong thing to say. "What you do _is _my business when they blame me for what you did!" Anakin nearly shouted.

Shinai shrugged. "I'm not responsible for that." 

"Yes, you are," Anakin argued. "By taking that job you would have known what would have happened."

Shinai gave a dry laugh. "Like I care."

"You do care," Anakin snapped, "you knew just how you would do the most damage to the Jedi."

The Miralukan took a step forward. "Listen, Skywalker," he murmured, "I left the Jedi five years ago for reasons you're never going to understand. Your friend Padmé gave me an excuse so everyone would think I was dead."

"What about Adi Gallia?" Anakin asked.

"She's made the same mistake you're making," Shinai told him. "Calling me to account before the Council, setting me up as a traitor and a dark sider." 

"This isn't about that," Anakin insisted. "If you don't want to be a Jedi, then that's _your _choice. All I'm doing is clearing my own name."

"Well, you'll have to do that _without _me," Shinai spat, starting to walk away. "And do yourself a favour, Skywalker, stop trying to find me." 

"If only it was that easy," Anakin said to himself as Shinai walked away.


	15. Chapter 15

The lists were up for Exhibition Day the next and Sona was not surprised to see her name among those selected for the presentation in a few days. She felt a hollow opening up in her stomach. Since Sona's thirteenth birthday was in a matter of months this would be the last time she would take part, and if she failed to attract the attention of a Master she would be place in a group assigned to 'Advanced Basic Training'. It was the new solution to the Jedi initiates who were not selected instead of taking them away from the Temple. The need for more Jedi outweighed everything else.

Sona felt a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "You'll be fine," said her friend Jenai. "Master Kenobi said there's more Masters looking for a Padawan learner, you'll be chosen."

"It's not that I'm worried about," Sona confessed as the two of them walked back to their rooms.

"What is it then?" Jenai asked. 

Sona shook her head. "I don't know what it is," she said. "I'll let you know when I find out."

"Perhaps you should meditate," Jenai suggested, "that's what they always tell us, isn't it?"

Sona smiled weakly, but she didn't believe it would do anything.

--

It was also morning of the beginning of Gunray's trial, and Coruscant was rampant with the news as well as the speculation. There was talk about nothing else in the corridors of the Senate and the various exclusive restaurants and tapcafes that the Capitals high-flyers frequented. The Neimoidian had changed lawyers at least three times…the Chancellor himself was going to appear …the entire trial was being broadcast live over the HoloNet.

Most of these of course were false yet there was one rather persistent one that was reputed to be true. Anakin Skywalker, Jedi Knight, celebrated hero of the Clone Wars, would be giving evidence at the trial. Yet what would come of this no one could say for certain.

The crowds were sense outside the Republic Courts Building and several sharp-eyed entrepreneurs were doing what they could to sell the limited seats inside the courtroom. Holo-journalists had set up stations near the front doors making commonplace remarks to pass the time before the action would really begin.

Above the crowds an armoured speeder hovered for a moment. Inside along with the pilot and several clonetroopers were Viceroy Nute Gunray and his attorney Sarn Retray. While Retray ignored the crowds below, Gunray looked at them with some trepidation.

Suddenly those below looked up and noticed the speeder. Pictures were taken and several camera droids flew up for a closer look. With a smile the pilot activated the shields and the camera droids bounced off the sides and fell to the ground below. 

Sarn smiled as he noticed this and the speeder flew over the crowd, entering an opened hatch and coming to rest inside. Several more troops were waiting to escort them in.

--

Anakin was aware of the crowds even before the Courts Building was in sight. The feeling of anticipation in the Force was stifling and he could feel sweat building up at the back of his neck.

There was no chance that he could get through the mob ahead without being recognised.

However, there were ways to avoid a scene.

He parked his airspeeder a fair distance from the Courts Building and walked the rest of the way. As he came the building he found a disused service entrance and went inside there, mind-tricking anyone who questioned his being there.

Yet this could not be done for the crowd outside the courtroom. Fortunately he had not been seen, so before anyone could spot him he entered a room with 'Male' printed on the door. No one would think of looking for him there. 

--

At a table at the front of the courtroom, Taur Cel-Dral representing the Republic against Nute Gunray watched his droid collate the files so he would have them to refer to during the trial. He smiled as he did this, his dark eyes glinting as he went over his opening address in his mind. While Cel-Dral was not the first to have the Republic as his client in a trial like this—there had been other before him in the trials of the Separatist leaders—he knew that his future career depended on the degree of success for he knew that success was guaranteed in the case of Nute Gunray's trial.

The crowd was pouring in right now, squabbling over seats and falling over each other in an effort to get the best ones. When the room was full—and it didn't take long—many were turned away, grumbling how such things as this should be better organised as they left.

"Bets," Cel-Dral said to his droid, "can you see Skywalker among them?"

The droid scanned the crown. "No sir, I can't," said the droid in a soft feminine voice.

"Should have expected it," murmured Cel-Dral to himself. "He better be here when I want him."

A soft hush fell over the chattering crowd as a thick durasteel door at the front of room opened. Out came several clonetroopers who took up posts either side of the accused box. Next came Sarn Retray, his battered briefcase under one arm and his eyes averted from the curious stares. And finally, as complete silence fell over the courtroom, came the Viceroy himself.

The silence continued as the Neimoidian took his seat next to his attorney, neither of them looked at the crowd which was gradually starting to titter and whisper. Suddenly a woman of some species that Cel-Dral could not identify stood up from where she was sitting. 

"Shame on you for the mercy given to you!" she shrieked, her deep voice sonorous from her painted blue lips. "You didn't show the same mercy to my people!"

"Or mine!" piped up another voice.

"He killed my brother!" shouted someone. 

"He doesn't deserve a trial!" screamed a voice from the back row. "He should be killed right now!"

There was a loud chorus of agreements of this that made Cel-Dral feel nervous. What would happen if the crowd went violent? Surely it was not a mistake for Gunray to be given such a public trial? If it went badly…Cel-Dral shook his head, loosening his collar slightly.

The shouts and jeers continued until a burly Duro wearing the uniform of the Republic Judicial Authority stood at the front of the room. "Silence!" he boomed, glancing at the crowd to see if anyone challenged his orders. He folded his arms across his chest, satisfied. "Now," he said in a lower tone, "all rise for His Honour, Chief Justice Flimone."

The once unruly crowd compiled with the order as the door behind the judicial dais opened and Tagir Flimone, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Galactic Republic, presided to his chair. He was a tall, gaunt humanoid with pale skin drawn rather too-tightly over his face. The robes of office hung somewhat loosely over his slender frame as he walked, his long bony fingers were rather pale in the dark sleeves.

Flimone coughed before speaking, as he would continue to do so throughout the trial as he was only rather recently appointed to this position and the Coruscanti air did not entirely agree with his lungs.

"Be seated," he instructed, his voice as long and thin as his body was yet with the diction of authority that was also apparent in the keen blue-grey gaze in his eyes. His appointment by Chancellor Amedda had been a controversial one as he had not been on the bench of Republic Judicial Authority during the war, which was probably so much for the better. His predecessor had been in office since not long after Palpatine was elected Chancellor and his methods had been none too transparent as to their motives.

Flimone folded his long hands before him, he knew it was necessary to make a few perfunctory remarks before the trial began which would undoubtedly be long and outdrawn.

"Before we begin," he said, satisfied that every eye in the room was on him, "there are a few matters that need consideration, I will address these now."

--

When he heard silence in the room beyond, Anakin slipped out of his hiding place. He surveyed the room with a satisfied smile, only two shocktroopers stood outside the door in a parade-rest position, yet their black blaster rifles ready for action.

"Sir?" Anakin's head whipped around as one of them spoke to him. "I'm sorry, but you cannot stay here, strict orders."

Anakin frowned, had it been _that _long since the war that a trooper would not know a Jedi when he saw one? 

"It's all right," Anakin said casually, opening his cloak so as to reveal the lightsaber on his belt. "I don't mean any trouble."

"I'm sorry, Master Jedi," the trooper replied in a monotone. "But I have orders from my superiors that _no one_ is to be here while the trial is in progress. Now, if you don't mind…?"

Anakin glared at him, orders or no orders the clone needed to know where both of them stood. "I'm Anakin Skywalker," he said, "and I'll be giving evidence of this trial, so I have every right to be here."

"Oh, sorry sir," the trooper said, giving a nod. "But…shouldn't you be inside?"

Anakin shook his head. "I don't want to go inside," he told the trooper, leaning against the wall. "All I need to do is wait out here until they call me in."

"But that may be a while, Jedi Skywalker," the trooper said.

"I know," Anakin replied, closing his eyes and sinking into a sitting position.

--

After Flimone had finished speaking Taur Cel-Dral got to his feet and began to pace the courtroom with his pudgy hands behind his back. He began to speak in a slow, melodious voice enunciating every syllable and pausing now and again to illustrate some particular point. Cel-Dral reminded the judge of the Clone Wars and how some of the devastating atrocities that had taken place could be linked to actions and decisions made by Viceroy Nute Gunray. He mentioned several systems of the many that had suffered, citing statistics of terrible proportion—all attributed to the Trade Federation. And as he said this he watched Gunray's face, watched it quiver and blanch at what he said, watched the Neimoidian's features twitch as he spoke, watched him starting to speak until Retray silenced him.

Satisfied he had said enough, Cel-Dral went to close his address.

"And you may ask why that I refer to events that are not only a matter of public record but are fairly accessible from any information kiosk on Coruscant." He chuckled slightly, eying Gunray indulgently like a predator sizing up his next meal. "Yet it is because of this fact that I sought to mention them, Your Honour, as the actions of Nute Gunray are so well known that I doubt that any free-thinking individual in the Republic is of the opinion that he should not be made to answer for them." He paused carefully, clasping his hands and then replacing them behind his back. "Yet what I wish to expose to you is not simply this—for surely we all have questions about the whys and wherefores about what he did—but the pure callousness and lack of compassion for any other living being that moved him to do so. And so I must insist upon the death penalty like Gunray's colleagues have had for the crimes they committed. My only regret," he said, his gaze hopeful and introspective for a moment, "is that there is no punishment in the long arm of justice that will deal with these monstrous crimes as they should be."

There was a considerable amount of applause as Cel-Dral took his seat yet he did not permit himself to look back. Yet he revelled in it. The crowd was on his side, as after all he was the good guy.  
Flimone rapped his gavel to lull the crowd back into silence and Retray rose to his feet.  
For a moment he did not speak, he did not even look up and there were several in the crowd who nudged each other and whispered amongst themselves. Finally, Retray looked up at Flimone.

"I would not attempt to better such a speech as my colleague, Cel-Dral, just gave, Your Honour," he began rather uncertainly. "But what I will do is give you a rather different point of view of some of the facts that my colleague just exposed, for surely some of what he said is true even if some of the views he imposed on those facts is wrong."

To begin Retray spoke of the Sith Lord Darth Sidious, a Sith who had deceived them all as he had also called himself Palpatine and had been Supreme Chancellor for a number of years. He argued that his client had been deceived by this Sith Lord just as the millions upon millions of citizens of the Republic had been, even to the point of refusing any association with Sidious yet this was something that had not been easy or even complete.

"You may think my case is based on sympathy rather than justice," Retray said, "and I suppose in a way, it is. Yet my client is as guilty as any being in this room to this Sith Lord's deception, and I must say that I find my colleagues views rather extreme and narrow." 

Cel-Dral's speech had ended in applause, Retray's ended in jeers and hisses as he took his seat but he ignored this. He knew he would be deluding himself if he thought that his views would be popular ones.

To silence the room Flimone tapped his gavel. "I must say that this went on rather longer than anticipated," he remarked, eying the two lawyers before him warily, "I will declare a recess for two standard hours and I would like both attorneys to see me in my chambers."

He rapped the gavel again and got to his feet. The room began to clear and Retray followed Cel-Dral out of the courtroom after having a few words with his client. Gunray was transferred back to the holding cell below the courtroom and members of the audience started to stretch their legs.

--

Anakin was back on his feet as soon as he heard the noise rise up again from inside the courtroom. Before anyone came into the foyer he left the building, slipping out the back door with the speed of a thief leaving the scene of a crime.

--

Midway between Council sessions, Obi-Wan went down to the big room used for large gatherings of Jedi where the holoprojector in the middle of the room was showing the latest update on the Senate vote.

Obi-Wan's features went into a frown, it didn't look good.

"The vote, how goes it?" Obi-Wan turned to see Yoda limping towards him leaning heavily on his gimer stick.

"Stokra's ahead," Obi-Wan told him as the figure disappeared from the screen, "but only just." He sat down on one of the chairs, his expression weary. "I don't like this, Master," he confessed. "A bunch of politicians deciding how we serve the Republic, it just _isn't _right." 

Yoda jabbed him with his cane. "You think like this I do, hmm?" He brought the stick down with both his hands on it. "Yet unavoidable this is, right young Senator Organa was to see a way out of the situation that unmoved for so long it was."

"But I don't know what he plans to achieve with this," Obi-Wan remarked. "If he wins surely that is only a good thing, but Stokra's not going to let this pass."

"Right you are," Yoda agreed. "Watch Stokra we must for if not elected Chancellor he is, accept defeat he will not."

"But what if—" Obi-Wan stopped there, he had been about to suggest Anakin's findings or lack thereof about the connection between Shinai Stel-Ardak and Stokra. Yet as much as Obi-Wan's instincts told him that Anakin was right, as yet there was no real proof.

_And there's not likely to be any_, Obi-Wan added in thought, _Stokra's sure to keep his hands as clean as a Jedi Master's formal robes._

With a sigh he followed Yoda out of the room, hoping the fog that had surrounded them ever since Anakin's return to Coruscant would clear soon.


	16. Chapter 16

When the court was convened after the two hour recess, Taur Cel-Dral called his first witness: Captain Panaka of the Naboo Royal Security Forces.

The dark-skinned man sat somewhat nervously in the witness stand. He had arrived in Coruscant the previous morning and was still somewhat daunted by the surroundings. After all, his previous visit to the city planet had been nearly twenty years ago after Queen Nalanda's urgent flight from Naboo.

Cel-Dral smiled at him over the bar yet Panaka did not smile back. He did not like this short stout man who claimed to be representing the interests of the Republic. Yet since Gunray was on trial—and Gunray had been responsible for the death of Nalanda—he was willing to testify.

"Your name for the record?" Cel-Dral asked. 

"Tallam Panaka," he answered, still not smiling.

"Could you tell me your current position?"

"I am Senior Security Adviser for Her Highness Queen Jenerina's guard," he said.

"And tell me," Cel-Dral asked, pacing slowly, "what was your position when you last met the accused?"

"I was Captain of Queen Nalanda's Security Force."

"And how long had you held this position?"

Panaka stared at him. "I'm sorry?" 

Cel-Dral gestured weakly to Gunray. "Prior to knowing the accused," he said. "How long before that?"

"Six standard months," replied Panaka.

Flimone coughed. "Cel-Dral?"

"Yes, Your Honour?"

"Get to the point," Flimone barked. "Don't keep us here all day with your routine questions."

"As you wish." Cel-Dral smiled again at Panaka, the man still refused to return the smile. "Now Captain," he said, folding his hands across his somewhat protruding belly. "Tell me what your relations were with the accused when you first knew him."

Panaka frowned. "I'm not sure if 'relations' is the proper word to use," he answered. "I watched the negotiations between him and Her Highness that eventuated into nothing. I also watched my men being cut down by his droids, and then was standing near Gunray when he threatened Her Highness to sign to treaty to legalise his occupation of the planet."

"Would you be able to give us specifics of this treaty?" Cel-Dral asked. 

Panaka didn't know the answer to this, fortunately Retray intervened before he spoke. "Objection!" he said. "This treaty has nothing to do with this trial as my client has been tried and acquitted for the offence that the witness and my colleague refer to."

"Objection sustained," replied Flimone after clearing his throat, he turned to Cel-Dral. "I find you having this witness here at all questionable, either keep your questions to this trial or I will move to strike his testimony from the record." 

"Yes, of course, Your Honour." Cel-Dral turned back to Panaka, the interruption had not perturbed him in the least. "I would like you to tell the court of the nature of the accused and how he spoke to the Queen. Was he accommodating in any way to her pleas?" 

"Not at all," said Panaka. "If anything he refused any grounds of mercy whatsoever, no matter how they were given. Her Highness was lucky she had the Jedi with her and she barely managed to escape with her life." He fixed a hard stare at the Neimoidian with these last words.

"I see," gushed Cel-Dral, "and the Queen refused to give in to him?"

"Of course," nodded Panaka.

"And Gunray didn't like this?"

"He dismissed it," Panaka said, "Her Highness refused to cooperate and he said that she would eventually give in to him."

"And what did he do to achieve this?"

"He imprisoned the people and denied them food," Panaka said, "he then started killing one each hour just before Her Highness left for Coruscant." 

This remark caused quite a stir with the audience and Flimone had to call for order. Cel-Dral continued his questions.

"So Captain, given what you know and what you have told us," he intoned, coming to rest just in front of his desk, "had it surprised you to hear of the charges against Gunray?"

"Not in the least," Panaka told him, "if anything they cannot be stated more. Nute Gunray is a spineless coward who has the deaths of many on his hands even though he always has others to do his dirty work for him. He has no conception of compassion or even remorse, he only benefits his own pockets at the great expense of many." 

Cel-Dral smiled again, Panaka didn't. "Thank you, Captain," he said, turning to Flimone. "No further questions." He nodded to Retray. "Your witness."

Sarn did not need reminding, he has brought a small holoprojector out of his briefcase and had activated it in his hand. Projected from the smooth surface was the scarred visage of a humanoid woman that both Gunray and Panaka remembered well. It was Darth Maxah, the Sith who had been Sidious' apprentice and killed both Qui-Gon Jinn and Shakya Devi. 

"This has already been submitted as evidence, Your Honour," Retray said, setting the hologram down in front of Panaka, "and my first question to you Captain is can you tell me if you have ever seen this female?"

"Of course," Panaka replied, "I'm not likely to forget her, she came with Gunray when he landed after the battle."

"I'm sorry?" Sarn's finger paused over his thin pale moustache. "Did I hear you correctly, she came _after_?" 

"Yes, you heard me right," Panaka told him.

"This is most curious," Sarn said, he went through the papers he had, "as according to the evidence I have here, it appears this woman—her name for the record is Darth Maxah—was responsible for the death of Jedi Shakya Devi which I understand happened prior to the invasion." 

"Look," Panaka said in an angry tone, "just because I didn't see her doesn't mean she wasn't there. I knew she was around, of course as I had to take further security measures to protect Her Highness."

"How did you know this?" Sarn inquired.

"The younger Jedi who was with Master Devi came to me for help and told me what had happened," Panaka replied. "I didn't see this Maxah myself until she came with Gunray, but I knew what she had done."

"Do you know, Captain Panaka, what a Sith is?" Sarn asked airily.

"I have heard the word once or twice," Panaka admitted, "but I cannot give you an answer of any accuracy. If you ask me if I believe this Maxah was a Sith, then my answer would be yes."

"And do you believe that she was working for my client?"

"I'm not completely sure," confessed Panaka.

"Not completely sure?" repeated Sarn. "My dear Captain this is a court of law, you must either say 'Yes' or 'No' as any form of uncertainty is not normally tolerated. Let me put this another way," he paused, considering. "Did this Maxah take orders from my client?"

"As far as I understand—" 

"Just answer the question!"

"No."

"Did she give the _impression _that she was under orders of the accused?"

"No." Panaka looked down, he could see the trap that Sarn was setting for him. "In fact he looked rather afraid of her."

"Was this Maxah," continued Retray, "giving orders to my client?"

"No." 

"This is rather interesting," said Retray, permitting himself to smile a little. "If this Maxah was not _giving _orders, and not _receiving _orders then what was she doing there at all?"

"I cannot answer that," Panaka told him.

"Could she," mused Retray, walking slowly back towards him, "have been under the orders of _someone else_?" 

"Possibly," conceded Panaka reluctantly.

Retray smile widened. "Tell me, Captain, does the name Darth Sidious mean anything to you?"

"Yes, I have heard it, as have all of us on Naboo given that Palpatine was our senator for quite a number of years," Panaka replied.

"How likely is it," said Retray, "that Maxah was under the orders of this Sidious?" 

"Well if both of them are Sith I would say it is possible," agreed Panaka. "But I am afraid I cannot give you a more definite answer than that."

"And finally, for I don't intend you to keep you on the stand much longer Captain, tell me, as a man with your experience, what your judgment is if my client was in contact and working with this Sidious?"

Panaka thought for a long moment. "Well I would say he is a fool from the start to have dealings with him," began Panaka. "And that the only smart thing he did was try to break this off with the Sith Lord. Yet if what happened to Naboo was on Sidious' orders, then perhaps the rest of what he did during the war can be made accountable. Not," he added darkly, "can there be any excusing it."

"Thank you," Sarn said with a nod, "no further questions." He sat back down. 

With a bored expression Flimone looked to Cel-Dral. "Any re-direct?"

"Just one question Your Honour." Cel-Dral didn't even get up. "Captain, is it of your opinion that Gunray would have refused any one of this Sidious' order is given any?" 

"No, at least not in the limited knowledge I have," Panaka replied. "Yet we cannot simply put this down to a case of just following orders."

"Thank you, Captain," said Cel-Dral with a smile. "No further questions."

"The witness may stand down," said Flimone.

Panaka stepped down from the box.

--

Anakin was leaning against the wall staring at the ceiling when Panaka left the courtroom. He went to stop him, wanting to know how the trial was going without having to endure the tediousness of it.

"What's going on?" Anakin asked him.

Panaka looked at Anakin skeptically. "That guy that Gunray has defending him is good," he told the Jedi. "He's putting you on the stand too?"

Anakin shrugged. "It looks that way."

"Look out for him," Panaka warned. "He'll make you trip on your own feet if you're not careful."

"I'll remember," Anakin promised, watching the man go.

-- 

Cel-Dral put several others on the stand that day. A Neimoidian pilot he had managed to find somehow, a senatorial aide who had been the Viceroy's prisoner during the war, a leader of a nomadic tribe whose people have been almost obliterated due to Gunray's callousness…Cel-Dral had had a whole list about three pages long with these sort of sob stories but had chosen to most horrendous to form his case. He asked for details, statistics of casualties and finally for opinions following what had happened. 

Retray was quick to combat this, thrusting the Sidious story every time and questioning what the witnesses had told Cel-Dral. Could what Gunray have done have been under his own free will? Was there the possibility that he was working for someone else, perhaps under duress?

Several times they brought out Count Dooku saying that he was the main culprit but Retray was quick to dismiss, this pointing out that Dooku also worked for Sidious so it did not matter where the orders came from.

When a former senator that Gunray had betrayed stepped down from the box, Flimone called an adjournment for the next morning. He knew Cel-Dral still had more witnesses to put forward, and given how long this trial was going to prove to be he knew that he had to put as much time as possible for each cross-examination.

When the courtroom emptied Anakin was already outside the building, yet Cel-Dral would not let him leave so easily.

"I didn't see you in there," the lawyer said. 

"Didn't want to go in," Anakin murmured, wishing Cel-Dral would go away. "All I had to do was wait."

"I have a good case," Cel-Dral told him. "He'll be convicted, I assure you."

"He better," Anakin growled, still not looking at him.

"You'll be on the stand tomorrow," Cel-Dral said.

"Good," Anakin said, starting to walk off, "the wall there gets quite boring after you stare at it for a few hours."

This time Cel-Dral didn't try to detain him.

-- 

In the Stel-Ardak household the HoloNet News was playing from the holoprojector yet only Arrin was paying attention to it. The boy sat cross-legged on a rug at a rather close distance near it, his dark eyes enthralled by what he saw.

"And that concludes out report on the trial of Nute Gunray," the Twi'lek reporter said. "Tomorrow Jedi Anakin Skywalker is said to take the stand. Until then, this is Celune Piar wishing the best of evenings." 

"You're too close to that," Shinai gently reprimanded, pulling the rug back to a reasonable distance with Arrin still sitting on it.

"Dad, who's Anakin Skywalker?"

Shinai did not intend to react to the sound of this name, but he did and Arrin noticed this.

"Who is he, Dad?" Arrin asked. "He's a Jedi, isn't he?"

"I knew him," Shinai replied in a tight voice.

"You did?" Arrin's eyes lit up. "What was he like?"

"He hurt me," Shinai lied, stroking the since healed wound on his chest. "Don't believe what they tell you, he's not nice."

"But I thought—"

"You've been watching that too long," Shinai interrupted, grabbing the remote and switching it off.

"But Daa-aad!" Arrin whined. 

"You heard me," Shinai told him, "you spend too much time in front of that thing anyway. Go to your room."

Sulkily, Arrin trotted off.

--

Obi-Wan found Anakin in one of the training rooms. The Jedi stood in the middle of the floor, his eyes closed as he avoided the blasts of the eleven remote droids that circled him, deflecting the blaster bolts with his lightsaber. While the number of them may have seemed like overkill, Obi-Wan had never known Anakin to do anything by halves.

When the timer was up and the remote droids floated to the floor, Anakin opened his eyes and looked at Obi-Wan.

"I was hoping that you would go," Anakin said, glaring at him.

"And miss the show you put on?" Obi-Wan teased. "You underestimate me."

Anakin deactivated his lightsaber and wiped away the sweat that had built up on the back of his neck. He clearly was not going to speak, so Obi-Wan decided to make the next move.

"How was the trial?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Ask someone who was there," Anakin replied shortly. "I wasn't, I waited outside."

This not surprise Obi-Wan in the least. He decided to get to the point. 

"Anakin, about this morning—"

"No need to explain, Obi-Wan," Anakin said, replacing the remote droids on the rack on the wall. "You were concerned, worried, about the way I had been feeling, acting, thinking, looking." He looked at his former Master. "You know I've got so used to your explanations that I can call them before you even _start _to say them." Anakin turned his back on him and put the rest of the remote droids on the rack as Obi-Wan considered his next words.

"I meant what I said," he told Anakin in a rather cautious tone of voice. "And I _know _you, Anakin. I know that the moment you come up against anything difficult you go _completely _in the other direction."

"What is it to you?" Anakin asked icily. "The trial will be over soon, and then I'll go back to doing missions, that's something I'm good at." He started to head out of the room.

"Not if I have anything to do with it," Obi-Wan murmured.

"What?" Anakin's eyes could have penetrated durasteel. "You _wouldn't_…you _couldn't_…" 

"Hold you here against your will?" Obi-Wan crossed his arms over his chest, his expression unmovable. "Don't think I won't if I have to."

"Fine then, I don't _need _this!" Anakin walked from the room.

Obi-Wan followed him. "Anakin, where are you going?"

"Away from you." He did not look back. "_Anywhere _else is better than you constantly being at my elbow, than the _Council _telling me what to do…I don't…_I don't care!_" 

"You care more than your realise." Obi-Wan burst forward and caught Anakin by the arm. "If you didn't care, you and I would not be having this conversation."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Anakin growled, trying to free himself from Obi-Wan's grip. It was too strong.

"Anakin, I might not understand what you have been through and I probably never will." His voice was soft and melodious, the sound lulled Anakin's anger. "But don't think I haven't noticed what it's _done _to you. Sometimes," he muttered wistfully, "sometimes I wonder what happened to the friend that I once had."

"He's dead," Anakin said with a frown. "Three years ago, in Palpatine's office. Everything else since then has been a trick."

"Not true," Obi-Wan disagreed. "The only one you've tricked is yourself; I've never been fooled for a second."

"Like you said, you know me too well." Anakin's voice sounded flat and defeated, he prised Obi-Wan's hand from his arm and this time Obi-Wan let him go.

"Sometimes I wonder if I do," Obi-Wan muttered as he watched Anakin's retreating form.


	17. Chapter 17

"A _tie_?" Bail Organa's incredulous voice was not the only one raised at the gathering of senators at his apartment later that night. He looked Sheltray with some puzzlement. "Surely…there has been some mistake?"

She shook her head. "Stranger things have happened, Senator."

Bel Iblis shook his head in frustration. "Dash it all," he muttered as Sheltray left the room. "Surely there will be a recount?"

"I don't think so," Bail said, sinking into a chair. "The vote took this long because it was anonymous, and Stokra's not going to let this go a second time."

"I can just see him smiling," Mon Mothma murmured, her slender, smooth hand clenching into a fist. 

"If I hadn't been in politics this long, I would say the thing whole thing was rigged," Bel Iblis said, taking a drink from the table and downing it in a long quaff.

"What makes yousa say thesa not so?" Danta inquired.

Bail smiled bitterly. "Well, while I would say that those that work the mechanisms of voting in the Senate are not _entirely _beyond reproach…" He paused here, folding his hands in his lap. "Common sense says that if Stokra _was _going to rig this, he would do it in his favour."

"And he would either have the result by a large majority or a very small margin," Bel Iblis continued. "So Stokra's hands are unblemished and we are now in the very same situation we were in _before _this election." He glared up at Bail. "I still say it was a bad idea." 

"Well even _you _agreed we could not sit on our hands!" Organa argued.

"I _told _you we had nothing to gain and everything to lose!" Bel Iblis rebuked. 

Bail started to rise to his feet. "Why you—" 

"Gentlemen, please!" Mon Mothma brought her hands up, eying Organa and Bel Iblis alternately. "Have any of you considered why the result was allowed to remain as it was? For clearly if Stokra _wanted _to win he _could _have." No one had considered this, Mothma continued. "We may still be in a deadlock against Stokra's Variceans, but we do have some valuable information from this experience."

"Speak true do yousa, Senator," Danta agreed. "Wesa knows that half theysa Senate votes for us cause and notsa for Stokra."

"You're right," Organa averred. "But even that doesn't help us out of the situation we're in."

"What I suggest," mused Bel Iblis, "is that we allow him to make the next move. If we give the impression that we are divided amongst ourselves over this vote then his overconfidence could be his undoing."

"And I know the perfect way to do this," added Mothma with a sly grin.

-- 

Walking through the Temple, Obi-Wan and Yoda discussed the result of the vote.

"Interesting this result is," Yoda mused, thrumming his fingers against the metal of the hovering chair he rode in.

Obi-Wan found his choice of words rather surprising and said this.

Yoda grinned. "So sure were you on how respond I would?" He waved an accusatory figure. "How many times tell you did I? Assume nothing, you must, clear your mind must be if you are to see."

For a few moments Obi-Wan considered this, but Yoda did not allow him long before he spoke again. 

"Words, you had, with Skywalker?" When Obi-Wan didn't respond he rapped the Jedi on the elbow with his cane. "Hmm?" 

"Yes, we had an argument," Obi-Wan answered, letting out a sigh. "He's having…dreams again."

"Mmmm, knew of this I did," Yoda murmured.  
Obi-Wan stared at him. "You did? Why didn't you say so?"

Yoda gave him an arch look. "Have me betray confidence would you?" he accused. "Very troubled Skywalker was when told me this he did, give him more pain I would not." They stopped walking, Anakin was in view now talking to R2-D2. "Dealing with this in his own way, he is."

Obi-Wan snorted. "If you mean not dealing with it, I could say you are right."

This remark cost Obi-Wan a nasty knock on the shoulder. "Hear you nothing that I say?" Yoda rebuked. "Trial this is not only for young Skywalker, but you also Obi-Wan." 

Obi-Wan stared at him, wondering Yoda had at last gone delusional. Then suddenly he started to understand, started to see what really was going on. Anakin was dealing with this in his own way and even if avoiding it was part of it, he was constantly being reminded of it through the dreams.

Yoda smiled as he watched the change on Obi-Wan's face. "When stop training young Skywalker, will you?" he asked, directing his chair away chuckling as he went.

_Probably never_, Obi-Wan reflected, still watching Anakin as he turned from the astromech droid to talk to a dark haired girl standing nearby.

-- 

"I thought droids normally got their memory wiped," Sona said dubiously.

At this R2-D2 chattered, making high pitched beeps and squeals. Anakin laughed, he didn't need a translation to know what Artoo said.

"If Artoo had a memory wipe he probably wouldn't be as resourceful as he's proven to be," Anakin told her, touching the droid's dome almost affectionately. "He's saved my life more than once."

Sona looked interested at this. "He has?"

Anakin nodded. "And he's not a bad pilot either," Anakin added. "Well, better than most." 

Artoo objected to this, making a rude noise that made Sona giggle.

"There's something I wanted to ask you, Jedi Skywalker," Sona said, her voice slightly nervous.

To his surprise, Anakin found he didn't mind talking to her. At least she didn't reproach him on things he didn't want to talk about like Obi-Wan had.

"Go ahead," he told her.

"Before…Master Kenobi came back," she began, trying to choose her words carefully. "You said you'd show us how to do that spinning trick that you do with your lightsaber."

"I never said I'd _show _you how," Anakin corrected gently, "I only said I'd _demonstrate_, it would quite difficult for someone of your level."

Somehow, this was the wrong thing so say as the hopeful smile fell from Sona's face and she looked down at the tops of her boots.

"Oh well," she murmured, her voice flat and emotionless, "I just thought I would…ask, that's all." She moved to go.

"Wait." Anakin caught her arm. "How old are you?"

"Twelve," Sona replied promptly. "And Exhibition Day's in two days." 

Anakin remembered only two well the significance of that day and her age from his time as a Padawan learner. Fortunately they had not meant anything to him as he had already been chosen as Obi-Wan's Padawan when he was nine.

"And if you're not chosen?" Anakin asked, he had heard Obi-Wan saying something about how the rules had been changed but he had forgotten.

"I'll go into an advanced class," she said. "It's not being sent away from the Temple, but…" She looked up and Anakin could see her dark eyes were rimmed with tears.

_I understand,_ he wanted to say, _it's not the same as being someone's Padawan_, but the words froze in his mouth.

The chrono down the hall struck the hour. "I have to go," she said making a small bow, "thank you for your time, Jedi Skywalker." She started to walk off.

Anakin called after her. "Sona." She turned as he said her name. "May the Force be with you."

She smiled. "May the Force be with you, Jedi Skywalker," she returned, and then she was gone.

Anakin wasn't sure how long he was standing there before he felt Obi-Wan's hand on his arm. He jumped several paces back.

"Relax, it's me not Shinai," Obi-Wan reassured. "I figured the best thing I could do was back off."

Anakin stared at him. "What?"

"The dreams?" Obi-Wan reminded him.

"What? Oh…that." Anakin's thoughts had been whirling ever since Sona had left, the heated exchange with Obi-Wan had been the last thing on his mind. 

For a moment Obi-Wan wanted to question why Anakin had been preoccupied for he had seen enough between his former apprentice and one of his initiates to put concrete evidence to a theory that had been floating around in his mind ever since he had got back from Naboo. But he knew if he did Anakin would immediately stop what he was doing and perhaps ruin everything. _It is better_, Obi-Wan concluded decidedly, _if _he _mentions this first_. 

"What made you decide that?" Anakin asked, now in possession of his faculties he looked questioningly at Obi-Wan. 

"Someone told me it was better to see what was right in front of my eyes," Obi-Wan replied. "Speaking of Shinai, have you managed to find him?"

"Yes," Anakin said, ignoring the surprised reaction on Obi-Wan's face.

"What? When was this?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Last night," Anakin told him. "We had…words."

"And?" Obi-Wan prompted.

"And that was it," Anakin finished. "He's changed his comlink, and I'm not surprised. Miarka said that she know anyone with the new one."

"That can't be true," Obi-Wan said.

"I know, she just doesn't want to compromise herself," Anakin said. "But she did say she'd let me know if Papanoida contacted her again."

Obi-Wan sighed, as much as he wanted to help his former apprentice he knew that he had to let Anakin do this himself. "So what have you got left then?"

"Less than nothing," Anakin admitted. "But if he was meeting someone—and I think he was—then it won't be long until we hear about him again."

-- 

Of all places, Shinai was out with his son in Coruscant Park the next morning when he came across the Zabrak. For a moment he paled, feeling through the Force for any threat.

"Relax, I've come alone," the Zabrak said, coming to stand beside the former Jedi. "I couldn't get you on the usual channels."

"I had to change my 'link," Shinai told him. "Someone was tracing me, I let all the right people know so it's no issue."

"It is to my employer," the Zabrak reminded him. "Look, I know that I said I wouldn't be seeing you again but this is the only way I could be sure of contacting you."

"Why so cautious?" Shinai asked.

"New threats," the Zabrak replied. "Jedi sniffing around where they shouldn't be, you know what it's like."

"Tell me about it," Shinai agreed. "So what's the update on this?"

"The assignment's tonight," the Zabrak said.

"Tonight?" Shinai asked incredulously. "But surely isn't this a bit soon? I've been watching the Net—" 

"So has my employer," the Zabrak interrupted. "He has decided that there is no more time to waste. I assume," he added nonchalantly, "that you are still up for it?"

"Did I say I wasn't?" Shinai asked. "And this is the last one, you hear? I'm not at anyone's beck and call."

"Let me assure you that after tonight my employer will no longer require your services," the Zabrak intoned, leaving just as quickly as he came. 

--

"Dad, who was that that you were talking to in the park?" Arrin asked after as they ascended the apartment building in the turbolift.

"No one you need to worry about," his father reassured.

"Does Mom know him?" Arrin asked, jumping on the spot.

"No, and don't tell her," Shinai said shortly.

Even four-year-old Arrin knew better than to question this.

A soft chime sounded and the doors opened. Shinai took his son by the hand and they went back to the apartment together, Martreyea opened the door with a smile on her face.

"I've been watching the Net," she said, kissing both of them, her red hair wild about her face. "They just showed a picture of Skywalker going in…"

"Don't talk about him!" Shinai barked.

Both wife and son gaped at this outburst.

"Arrin, you go and play in your room and close the door," Martreyea said, nudging him. "Go on."

"But—" 

"Go!" The command was firm yet gentle, when she heard the door shut in the distance she examined her husband critically. "What is this all about?" she asked him. "Ever since you've come back here you've been like this, so…angry and always snapping at him. Is it work?"

"No…and yes," Shinai admitted reluctantly, pacing the room.

Martreyea caught him by the shoulder. "You can tell me," she whispered.

"No, I can't." He wound his arm around her waste. "I don't want you and Arrin in any danger," he said. "They're not going to take you away from me."

"Who?"

"Don't you worry," he reassured, putting a finger gently on her nose. "I have everything under control."

"I never worry," she whispered. "You do enough of that for both of us." 


	18. Chapter 18

Anakin's testimony was the last for that day, and soon after he had left the courtroom Flimone had adjourned until the next morning. Retray walked with his client back to the waiting airspeeder, explaining what would happen the next day on the way back to where he was being held in the Republic Intelligence building.

Retray nodded to the guards and Intel operatives they passed as he walked with Gunray back to his cell. When the door was closed and bolted Retray was off, he had a lot to prepare for the morning.

As usual two guards took up their posts either side of Gunray's door. There was no chance of Gunray escaping, but it served as a way to screen those who claimed they had a right to see him.

--

The address Papanoida gave him took Anakin to a newer part of Coruscant that had been reconstructed since the ending of the war. While he did not know the specifics, he assumed that these new durasteel and transparasteel apartments would be fairly highly priced. Could he assume that Stokra was responsible for Shinai being here?

A dark-eyed woman with red hair around her shoulders answered the door. She looked rather apprehensive as she looked at him from behind the security screen.

"Yes?" she asked rather timidly.

"Martreyea Kittern?" he asked, hoping that he had come to the right place.

"Yes, who wants to…" Slowly her expression changed as she examined him closely. Fear, suspicion. Her eyes rested on his lightsaber. "What do you want?" she asked him coldly.

Used to much more unwelcome receptions involving actual threats, Anakin ignored her lack of civility. "I need to see you about…"

But this was as far as he got, she broke in quickly, almost rudely. "No, no," she started to draw away from the door. "You can't have him, I won't let you, he's mine…"

"This isn't about your son," Anakin interrupted. "I just need to ask…"

"Then it's about my husband then, isn't it?" she demanded. "You've come to take him back. He told me it was almost impossible to leave the Jedi once you were one of them."

"No, this isn't like that at all," Anakin pleaded.

"Then why are you here?" she asked, her eyes narrowed.

Anakin looked up and down the corridor. "It's not something that I'd really like to discuss in a hallway," he explained patiently. "May I come in?"

She considered this for a moment, her dark eyes examining him carefully. "All right, then," she said at last. "But only for a moment." She deactivated the security screen and let him in.

She was still clearly flustered by his presence, curtly inviting him to sit down and busying herself by straightening the sofa cushions. Anakin took this moment for a chance to look around the apartment. There was a stack of boxes piled up down the hall and the living room was somewhat bare apart from the furniture—clearly they hadn't lived there for long.

Finally, she turned to look at him. "Is there something you wanted to say to me?"

Before Anakin could answer her, a small boy with hair as red as Martreyea's walked into the room. "Mom, could you come and—" He stopped talking when he noticed his mother's visitor. "You're Jedi Skywalker, aren't you?" He asked, his eyes wide as he sized Anakin up with some anxiety. "I'm… honoured to meet you, sir…or Master…I don't know really what to say."

"That's okay," Anakin said, Arrin's reaction reminded him of himself when he had first met Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan.

But Martreyea wasn't impressed. She took her son firmly by the shoulder. "Go and play, Arrin," she told him.

"But Mom, I want to—"

"Arrin!"

For a moment he looked as if he would object, then walked away sulkily.

Martreyea turned back to Anakin, continuing to stand over him as he sat. "You were saying?"

"I have some questions for you about your husband, Shinai Stel-Ardak," Anakin told her. "We suspect that he's been involved in…recent activities."

"Well why don't you ask him?" Martreyea demanded.

"I have," Anakin admitted. "And he hasn't been exactly cooperative."

Martreyea stared at him blankly. "Well then, I'm afraid I can't help you."

Anakin looked at her carefully. "Sorry?"

"I don't question my husband," she said, her expression hurt and angry. "He provides for me and our son, and much better since we left Avingnon. I love him and trust what he tells me."

"So you _don't_ know what he is doing?" Anakin asked her.

"No," she replied. "As long as it does not affect the happiness of our family I see no reason for him to tell me more than he does."

Anakin wondered if the woman was simple or if Shinai had somehow brainwashed her—Force-assisted or otherwise.

He decided to tell her everything, as clearly she didn't know.

"I'm investigating an attack on Senator Stokra of the Corporate Sector," Anakin told her. "You may have heard of him."

Martreyea nodded, dabbing her eyes with her sleeve. "I have seen him on the Net," she said. "He's a horrible man."

"Did you hear about the assassination attempt on him?" Anakin asked.

Martreyea nodded. "I don't condone it but whoever did it only did what everyone else wanted to do."

"Lady." He spoke to her in a low voice. "Shinai was responsible."

She blanched, her mouth dropping open. "That's…that's impossible! Tell me you are lying!"

Anakin shook his head. "I'm not," he said. "Stokra hired your husband to do the attack do it would look like a Jedi had done it."

Martreyea shook her head. "I don't believe you. Shinai would _never_ do something like this; he's good to me and to our son."

"Good people can do bad things," Anakin told her, "sometimes quite _horrible_ things, for what they think are the _right_ reasons."

"It's not possible," she said, still shaking her head. "I'm sorry, Jedi Skywalker, but I'm going to have to ask you to leave." She walked with him towards the door. "I can tell you that Shinai would never do such a thing so we have nothing to talk about."

"I am sorry about this," he said as she opened the door. "And I don't think you should tell your husband that I was here."

She glared at him. "I intend to!"

"If you want," Anakin said with a shrug, "but he may take it the wrong way."

"He won't," Martreyea asserted. "I know him too well."

She shut the door behind him with a loud bang.

--

As he waited for the turbolift Anakin went over the short interview in his mind, particularly Martreyea's almost blind devotion to her husband. Did she _actually_ trust him or was she just _saying_ that? All the same, he couldn't fight the gnawing feeling in his stomach that this was going to end badly. Perhaps he should wait until Shinai returned.

When the doors to the turbolift opened Anakin decided against it. For all he knew he could be waiting half the night and there were better things he could to so as to give him some proof, something he was sorely lacking in this mission.

Normally Arrin was very astute to his mother's emotions, but when he heard the door slam he ran out of his room with a disappointed expression.

"Mom, he's gone!" Arrin looked accusingly at his mother who was sitting with her head in her hands.

"So much the better," she muttered, wiping her red eyes.

He then noticed she was crying, he touched her hand gently. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, nothing," Martreyea lied. "Go and clean up, dinner's almost ready."

"When's Dad coming home?" Arrin asked her.

"He'll be back in time to put you to bed," Martreyea said, her voice turning sharp. "Go on!"

With a sullen face Arrin obeyed.

--

While it was no longer common to see Jedi in the Republic Intelligence building, the guards outside Gunray's cell had no hesitations about letting one inside. He smiled at them from under his hood yet his face was eyeless and he assured them that what he had to do wouldn't take long.

When half an hour passed and the Jedi had not emerged, one of the guards threw aside the hatch to peep inside Gunray's cell. He stared. Inside he saw the Neimoidian's body—or what was left of it—sprawled out on the floor in pieces.

"Good skies!" he swore when he noticed that the Viceroy's head was sitting on the end of the small bed.

"What's going on?" the other guard asked.

"Get Commander B'Dun," the first guard said. "Gunray's dead!"


	19. Chapter 19

Like most pieces of bad news, word of Gunray's death seemed spread through Coruscant quickly even without the aid of the HoloNet. Immediately Obi-Wan went to the scene with two other Masters, calling for Anakin to come and meet them. B'Dun talked with several security officers as Obi-Wan examined the body.

He looked up at Agen Kolar.

"Lightsaber." Kolar said, saying exactly what Obi-Wan was thinking.

Obi-Wan turned away from the corpse, sliding his hands into his sleeves. "I don't like this."

"It's just like Stokra," added Shaak Ti. "Yet unlike him, Gunray wasn't so fortunate."

Obi-Wan shook his head. "That's not what I meant," he said. "If Stokra was meant to be silenced he would have been, the attack on him gave Stokra a much louder voice. But this…" He gestured to the body as two security officers examined it. "This is meant to look like something else."

Before either of them could answer Anakin walked into the room. He took one look at the body and then one look at Obi-Wan. "Shinai," he said.

"My thoughts exactly," Obi-Wan agreed.

"Care to enlighten us?" Kolar asked.

"Shinai Stel-Ardak," Obi-Wan told him. "Anakin's convinced that Stokra hired him to make these attacks to discredit the Jedi."

"But that hasn't happened here," Shaak Ti objected.

"No, not yet," Anakin said, he walked up to B'Dun. "Can you tell us what happened here?"

Still somewhat nervous, B'Dun related the story. "According to the two guards a Jedi gained access to Gunray's cell. He said he wouldn't be long, but after a while one of the guards look inside and saw the body then alerted me."

"Excuse me?" They all turned to see the security sergeant standing near them. "Have you finished with the body? We need to take it to be analysed."

"No, go ahead," Obi-Wan said with a nod, he turned back to Anakin. "Do you know how he got in the building?"

"I can answer that," Anakin said. "He came in through the door, I asked when I came in." He looked around at the walls of the cell. "What I would like to know is how he got _out_. He's not here now, of course."

The Jedi started to walk around the room, pressing their palms against the durasteel panels that formed the walls. Yet it was Anakin who managed to find the right one. He rapped on his with the heel of his hand, it sounded no different from the others. He ignited his lightsaber and cut it away from the wall. When he removed the panel there was a hole big enough to step through.

Obi-Wan examined the panel. "It's been welded shut with a lightsaber," he said, pointing out the joins. "Someone's loosened this and then scored it from the other side to make it look like all the others."

Immediately Anakin put his head through the panel, but Obi-Wan caught his arm to stop him.

"You're not going to find him, he'll be long gone."

In frustration, Anakin slammed his fist against the wall and stormed out of the cell. Shaak Ti and Kolar looked at Obi-Wan for an explanation.

"Don't blame him, I feel like that myself sometimes," Obi-Wan told them. "He know that Shinai did this and Stokra's involved, but there's _still_ no proof after all this."

He quickly left to find Anakin.

--

Anakin was talking to one of the security operatives when Obi-Wan found him, looking at the recordings for any trace of Shinai but the best they could do was the bottom of his chin as he has kept his face hooded.

"We'll find him, Anakin," Obi-Wan reassured. "He's bound to show up somewhere, sooner or later. What did his wife say?"

Anakin stopped suddenly. "I'm an idiot!" He said, and ran off.

"Well noticed," Obi-Wan remarked, then ran off after him. "What makes you think he'll go back there?" he asked as they ran through the building. "He could have a hideout or another place he goes to."

"I don't think so," Anakin argued, flagging an airtaxi and giving the driver directions. "She trusts him. I don't know why, but I know that she does, and she's not going to ask him any questions."

"So you think all we have to do is go in there and catch him?" Obi-Wan asked sceptically. "Anakin, when are you going to learn that _nothing_ is ever that easy?"

"Oh, it is," Anakin replied with a smile. "Just trust me."

Obi-Wan shook his head, not wanting to spoil Anakin's mood.

--

Reports of Gunray's trial were immediately overshadowed by the reports of his death, as Martreyea noticed on the HoloNet News that night. She could see pictures of the body, telling Arrin sharply to go to bed when the warning came that some may find the images distressing.

But worst of all came the conclusion as to who as thought to be behind the attack. "A Jedi or a bounty hunter posing as a Jedi," were the words of Commander B'Dun.

Martreyea had to sit down, her heart was pounding. Shinai couldn't be responsible, he couldn't be!

Slowly, Skywalker's words came back to her.

--

Gunray had been easy to kill, all it had taken was five seconds for Shinai to slice off the Neimoidian's head and then mess with the rest of his body. Yet all of this he pushed to the back of his mind as he walked towards his front door. That was work, and what happened while he was out there he didn't let interfere with the time he spent with his wife and son.

Ten years ago, Shinai would have thought that for a former Jedi doing this sort of thing he would had to have turned to the dark side, yet Shinai knew this was not true. He felt the Force as he had always done when he was a Jedi, and there was even a certain amount of removal of emotion from what he did—a practise he had begun while he was a Jedi. The only difference was that he was now freer to choose his own path in life—something that the Jedi had frequently denied him—that and the fact that he now had a family.

Yet it was not with a smile and a kiss that Martreyea met him at the door. She embraced him and even with the Force, Shinai could tell there were traces of tears in her eyes.

"What's happened?" he asked her, touching her cheek affectionately. "You're been crying, haven't you?"

"It's nothing," she said dismissively, walking towards the kitchen. "I've left something hot for you."

"Don't lie to me," Shinai warned, following her. "I can tell that something has upset you, what is it?"

Martreyea shook her head. "It's not important."

"If it's upset you than it's important," Shinai said, sitting down at the counter. "Don't you trust me?"

Martreyea's face went almost as red as her hair. "Of course I trust you! That's why—" She put a hand over her mouth, Shinai removed it.

"Now we're getting somewhere," he said. "Tell me, what happened this afternoon? Where did you go?"

Martreyea busied herself getting the hot plate and a knife and fork, averting her eyes. "Someone came to see me."

"Well, that's no surprise," Shinai said, he caught her hand in his. "Didn't you say that someone from Avingnon would come to check up on you? At least they haven't tracked you to me."

Martreyea paused, her hand frozen as it was its way to her face. "That…wasn't what it was about."

"Then what _was_ it about?" Shinai asked.

"Shinai, you would never do anything to hurt me, would you?" Martreyea's voice was low and somewhat nervous.

"Of course not," Shinai said. "You're all I have and all that matters, what makes you doubt me?"

"I don't," she said, brushing her vibrant hair away from her face. "It's just that…why don't you tell me what it is you do? I'm your wife, you owe me that, don't you?"

"Listen to me." He caught her by the arm. "The reason I don't tell you is to protect you and Arrin, do you realise what someone would do to you to get information about me? I can't risk that."

"But it's a little hard on me being in the dark," she said.

"I know, but it's the only way to protect you." He felt into the Force, sensing her hesitation. Yet there was something else, something deeper. "I thought you understood that, who have you been talking to?"

She didn't answer, escaping his grip and wiping some non-existent crumbs off the sink so as to avoid his questions.

"Martreyea?" He got up from where he sat and stood behind her, catching her by the arms. "You have to tell me as it could compromise not only me but you and Arrin?"

She looked fearfully up at him. "You mean that?"

"If I didn't why would I say it?" Shinai asked her, he stood back as she turned around.

"All right." She let out a slow breath. "A Jedi came to see me?"

Shinai felt his fist clench. "A _Jedi_?"

"Yes." She continued on hurriedly. "He asked about you."

This was disturbing, but Shinai knew that she didn't know enough to betray him. "What did you say?"

"I told him that I didn't know and that I trusted you," she said. "But he said something about Senator Stokra, is it true?" She went on, not giving him time to answer. "And then, I saw on the Net tonight, Nute Gunray…was that _you_?" Her eyes grew fearful but she did not shrink away. "I love and trust you, Shinai, but this is a little hard to take."

He ignored her objections, there were things he needed to know. "When did he come?"

"This afternoon," she answered. "Quite early, before I heard the report. But please." She stepped forward and clasped his hand, her voice earnest and soft. "Tell me those horrible things he said aren't true, you haven't been involved in those things, haven't you?"

Shinai could only make out parts of her face through the Force, but that was enough to know what she was feeling. "I cannot lie to you." He enclosed her hand with two of his. "Yes, that was me, I was hired to do the job as people think I'm a Jedi."

She stared at him, horrified. "But…why?"

"It's what I do," he told her, trying to convince her as well as himself. "It's _all_ I know how to do and it's how I provide for you."

"But how _could_ you _do_ something like that?" she asked him, all of the trust going out of his voice. "Killing, for money?"

"It's not _all_ killing," he explained, but she wouldn't listen.

"It doesn't matter, I don't know how you can justify this even with yourself."

"I don't ask why I do this," Shinai said, his voice rising in anger, "I just _do _it." He gestured around him. "How do you think that we got this place? Credits don't just fall out of the sky."

Martreyea shook her head. "I'd rather be living under a bridge than a place bought with your blood-money. If you do this to other people, how come I don't know if you can do this to _us_?"

"You're being unfair!" he accused, distancing himself from her. "I would _never_ do something like that to you and Arrin, that's different!"

"How different?" Martreyea spat. "And given all these lies you've told me why should I believe you?" She walked up to him, her eyes blazing with fury. "You _disgust_ me!"

He hit her, his hand impacting against her cheek and throwing her to one side. She held her face to the spot, tears running down her cheeks.

"That's it," she said decidedly. "I'm taking Arrin and we're going back to Avingnon, my mother will take us in."

She started to cross the room but he stopped her, grabbing her wrist firmly.

"You're not taking _my_ son anywhere!" he roared.

"He's mine as well!" she shrieked, fighting him. "Let go, of me!"

With the Force he slid a chair across the room and shoved her violently into it. "Now _you_ listen!"

"I won't!" She got to her feet.

"Sit down!" He pushed her down so violently that the chair almost toppled over. Martreyea cried out in pain.

--

The shouts and shrieks were enough to wake Arrin, he slipped out of bed and hid in the darkness of the hallway, crouching in his green pyjamas. He could see his father and mother, he was saying awful things to her and she was trying to fight him, but he was stronger and getting angrier.

"I can't let you go, anywhere!" his father roared, picking up his mother by the throat with such force that her feet lifted off the ground.

She wriggled in his grasp, her eyes wide and fearful. "Shi…nai…let go…of…me!" she gasped. "You're… hurting…me!"

Angrily he threw her across the room. As he sucked his thumb, Arrin watched his mother move through the air and he closed his eyes so he wouldn't see her hit the floor. Yet he heard nothing and when he opened his eyes he could see her hanging in mid air, her hands about her throat as if she was still being choked.

"Shinai…don't…do this!" she implored, yet she saw no remorse or emotion in his expression as he neared her. His eyeless face was as impenetrable as a durasteel wall, and just as hard and cold. This wasn't her husband, she knew, this wasn't the man she had nursed when he had been almost mortally wounded and had given her his love and a child they shared.

--

Frantically Anakin and Obi-Wan ran through the building, upon entering they had sensed the disturbance in the Force. They entered the turbolift, impatient as it seemed to take its own sweet time upwards.

"Do you think they've run?" Obi-Wan asked him.

"Perhaps," Anakin agreed, "but I fear the worst."

--

"I can't let you take him," Shinai said, walking up to his wife, his hand clenched as he closed her windpipe.

"No…Shinai…stop!" Her face turned blue and her eyes widened as his grip tightened. "Please… don't!"

"He told you to do this, didn't he?" Shinai thundered. "That Jedi, who was he?"

"No…he didn't!" She protested, fighting for air.

"Tell me his name!" he demanded.

"Ana…Skywalk…" Her head slumped to one side, her hands dropped and hung limply either side of her.

Shinai released her, his hands shaking as he laid her on the floor, examining her body. "No…I couldn't have," he stammered, frantically trying to find some sign of life in her prone form. "It's impossible, I couldn't…"

"NOOOO!" Arrin screamed, frozen to the spot and shaking with fear.

For a moment father and son eyed each other. Shinai walked slowly towards him, Arrin's large dark eyes—so like his mother's—stared up at him.

Shinai staggered towards his son, his words tumbling over each other as they emerged from his mouth. "Arrin…you know that…I wouldn't…."

"You killed her!" he spat, still not moving.

Shinai recoiled as if he had been shot, but before he could say another word the door burst open. Two figures came in but Shinai only noticed one.

"You!" Shinai rounded on Anakin, his hand crossing to his lightsaber. "This is all your fault! You turned her against me!"

"You have done that yourself," Anakin replied in a calm voice. He held out his hand. "Hand over your lightsaber; you wouldn't want to make this _another_ death in front of him." He nodded to Arrin who was still frozen to the spot, his hair sticking to his face with cold sweat.

Shinai backed away towards the window. "Don't think I'm going to give in now," he said, igniting his lightsaber and bringing it before him.

"We'll take him together," Obi-Wan whispered, "we can make this as quick as it needs to be."

They removed their cloaks and then ignited their lightsabers. For a moment Arrin gaped at the sight of the three blue lightsabers before him, then his father gave a gesture and he fled.

"You still can end this now, Shinai," Anakin said, his voice still calm. "There's no need to make a stand, it'll just make things worse."

There was a fevered, almost maniacal look in Shinai's face. Obi-Wan recognised it, he had seen that look far too many times during the war: it was the face of a Jedi who had turned to the dark side of the Force. _Could it be too late for Shinai?_ Obi-Wan wondered.

But Obi-Wan did not have time to think. Shinai stepped forward to attack, the blue blade swinging menacingly towards the two Jedi. Anakin and Obi-Wan were quick to intercept the blow and then circle around Shinai for a devastating double attack.

Yet Shinai was not so easily overwhelmed, he gave the two Jedi such an attack that they were both left reeling. And in the moment of hesitation he pressed his advantage, fighting one, then the other and then finally both at the same time, the lightsaber a blur in his hands, the blows powerful.

_Form V_, Anakin realised with a start, he had fought too briefly with Shinai on Avingnon to have any measure of him as a fighter but even if he had that wouldn't have mattered. The five years absence from the Jedi Order made all the difference.

But Anakin knew that there was a way around this, he caught Obi-Wan's eye and gave a nod. Obi-Wan returned it and they span back into attack-ready positions. And then, slowly at first but picking up speed as they moved, they attacked together, blade moving exactly at the same time targeting either side of Shinai's body.

It was a technique they had worked on ever since Anakin had been Obi-Wan's apprentice and during the Clone Wars they had perfected it in such a way that the two Jedi were virtually unstoppable. They were like two opposite parts of an equation, Obi-Wan the defence, Anakin the attack, Obi-Wan with the reserve and finesse, Anakin with the speed and power.

The only one who had not survived this double assault had been Count Dooku—and even there they had momentarily adapted it on board the _Invisible Hand_ to include Padmé—but Dooku had been in a class of his own as a duellist whereas Shinai was not.

And the worst part was Shinai knew he was beaten, at least while the two of them attacked him together. He had to fight either one or the other and he knew there was only one way to do this.

Moving so fast that he could almost not be seen, Shinai brought his lightsaber up over his head and cut part of the window away. At the same time he reached into the Force, ripping through the glass so it exploded all around him and showered the Jedi with a deadly rain.

Then he walked up to the open frame, smiling at the Jedi as the cold night wind rushed past him moving his dark clothing and hair. Then he jumped.

Anakin and Obi-Wan ran to the edge, looking down as the former Jedi fell. Anakin moved to follow him but Obi-Wan tried to prevent it.

"I have to go after him," Anakin argued.

"Anakin, you can't just go and—"

Anakin glared at him. "Yes, I can and I am."

Obi-Wan shook his head. "Then I'm coming—"

"No." Anakin's tone was soft but firm. "This is something that I have to do myself, and someone has to make sure Arrin's all right."

"Arrin?" Obi-Wan asked. "Oh, the boy. But together we can—"

"I know," Anakin said, his eyes as clear as his resolve. "Which is why I have to do this by myself, you understand?"

Obi-Wan wanted to say that he didn't understand, that Anakin was letting his pride get in the way again and the best thing they could do was to track him together. But then he remembered…this was _Anakin's_ mission, not his own and while Anakin had asked him to help out now and again, whether it failed or succeeded would entirely rest upon Anakin's shoulders.

And as much Obi-Wan wanted to share that burden, as they had shared almost everything since that day on Tatooine when they had first met, Obi-Wan knew that this time he couldn't. This time he had to let Anakin go and there was nothing he could do about it.

Yoda's words came back to him, when would he stop training Anakin? At the time Obi-Wan had taken the words lightly, yet now…

"Go on," Obi-Wan urged, seeing that Shinai was almost out of sight. "Let me know how it goes."

And without saying anything more Anakin jumped.


	20. Chapter 20

Shinai was standing on a ledge several floors below and it took Anakin a few minutes to catch up with him. The former Jedi stood there, sneering at him.

"What took you so long?" he asked, letting go and falling further down.

Anakin let go and followed him until they were more or less eye-level again. Shinai showed no sign of attacking, at least not yet. So Anakin tried to reason with him.

"Shinai, this doesn't have to happen," he said.

"Yes," Shinai laughed, "it does."

"What are you trying to prove here by running?" Anakin persisted, ignoring Shinai's attitude. There _must_ be someway to get through to him.

"I don't need to prove anything," Shinai spat. "I just want you to leave me alone!"

He jumped off the ledge and Anakin followed him, landing after Shinai on a ledge further below.

"Don't you ever quit, Skywalker?" Shinai demanded.

"Not until you do," Anakin told him. "You have to answer for your crimes."

"If you mean that Neimoidian, then I did you a service," Shinai mocked. "You probably wanted him dead as much as anyone else did."

"No, I know the difference between _wanting_ someone dead and actually _killing_ them," Anakin said. "I don't think _you_ do."

With a cry like a wounded animal, Shinai ignited his lightsaber and struck at Anakin. Anakin quickly deflected his blow, but the force of it sent them both off the edge and further down.

--

Arrin's room was not hard to find and neither was the boy himself. Obi-Wan found him in bed beneath the blue-coloured coverlet with starships printed on it. The boy was sleeping, curled into the foetal position, a stuffed bantha toy in the crook of his arm and sucking his thumb.

Obi-Wan wondered how much he had seen, and how would it affect him. He watched Arrin sleep for a few moments, wondering what was going to be done with him. Obi-Wan knew he had to get him out of her for in the extremely unlikely event that Anakin was not successful Shinai without a doubt would return. _And only the Force know what he's going to do with his son,_ Obi-Wan reflected, _a Jedi's son…_

Through the Force, though it was rather raw and untrained, Obi-Wan could sense the Force-potential within the sleeping Arrin. Why hadn't he thought of it before? But first things first; he had to get rid of the boy's mother.

He left the room and picked up the woman's body where it lay. What was her name? Martreyea, Anakin had said. He carried her to another bedroom and lay her down on the mattress, covering her with a spare blanket.

Then he went back to the boy and gently nudged him awake.

"Mmmm….Mom, leave me alone," Arrin murmured, turning over without opening his eyes.

Obi-Wan prodded him again. "Arrin." He whispered. "Arrin, you have to wake up."

Arrin opened his eyes, then widened them as he stared up at Obi-Wan. "Who are you?"

Obi-Wan blinked, how much did he remember. "I'm a Jedi," he answered. "My name is Obi-Wan Kenobi and you…your mother says you have to come with me." He had tacked on the white-lie at the last moment as he needed a plausible reason for the boy to follow him

"Where's Mom?" he asked. "She said my Dad would be coming soon."

Obi-Wan paused, how was he going to tell him that his father had killed his mother and now was fighting somewhere in Coruscant? But Arrin had _seen_ all this, hadn't he?

He examined to boy's face critically, there was no trace of any sort of emotion there that Obi-Wan could associate with what had happened. Had he even remembered?

"You're father's gone away and you have you are to come with me," Obi-Wan said, picked up a jacket off the floor and helping Arrin put it on. While Arrin looked up at Obi-Wan rather curiously, he did let the Jedi help him off the bed. "Quickly now."

"Where are we going?" Arrin asked, he still had the stuffed bantha under his arm.

"We're going…to the Jedi Temple," Obi-Wan said, hoping that the plan that he had worked out in his head would come to fruition. _Somehow,_ Obi-Wan mused, _this feels like a very familiar story._

Arrin looked up. "We are?" They were in the living room now, the Coruscant nightscape both audible and visible through the broken window.

"Yes, take my hand," Obi-Wan instructed as he opened the door and they went out.

--

Anakin had to ignite his own lightsaber to parry the blows from Shinai's all the while the two of them were in freefall. He gripped it tightly, hoping to the Force he wouldn't drop it. _This is insane_, he said to himself as he blocked Shinai's attack. He knew they couldn't go on like this for ever for one thing they would run out of air to fall through.

Fortunately they passed through one of the many skyways that ran through Coruscant and both of them were able to land on a passing airspeeder. If there was any surprise on the part of the occupants as to the extra passengers, neither Anakin nor Shinai took any notice.

His lightsaber ready, Anakin leapt from his speeder to his own, using the Force to extend the length of his jump. This was fortunate as a moment after Anakin left the airspeeder the driver made a right turn, but he was never to know this.

They fought for a moment on the hood of the speeder, dazzling and shocking the people inside before Shinai jumped onto the speeder in front and Anakin followed him.

"What do those Jedi think they're doing?" asked the Dug driver to his mauve Twi'lek companion.

She shrugged.

--

What followed was a relentless chase through the skies of Coruscant that was as dangerous as it seemed. To a red open-topped speeder where Anakin had to jump over the inside to get to the front, from there to a white bus and then a run and jump to a blue and white diplomatic transport.

Still Shinai was ahead and still Anakin followed, running and jumping and not getting any closer. The clever option, he knew, was to commandeer a vehicle as he and Padmé had done on Avingnon and pursue Shinai that way, but there was no time and what was he going to do with those already inside? Somehow Anakin figured that wouldn't take as kindly to freefall as he did.

Another open speeder, then a small green one with a flat roof and then finally a hovertrain where Shinai stopped and waited for him.

When Anakin landed on the train he jumped again, this time right _at_ Shinai with his feet in a smooth kick that knocked him back. But Shinai was on his feet within a moment and attacking Anakin the next, whirling his lightsaber in a devastating arc to bring it smashing down above Anakin's head.

Anakin side-stepped the blow then intercepted it, dangerously skirting the edge of the hovertrain so as to come up behind Shinai. Then he attacked, first short, sharp blows that had very little impact, just to soften Shinai up. Then one overwhelming lunge that had the former Jedi leaning far back against the metal surface with Anakin's lightsaber at his throat. But instead of following through, Anakin paused.

"Go on," croaked Shinai. "You have won, you have beaten me. My life is forfeit."

Still Anakin didn't move. Part of him wanted the blade to continue its path, to finish the job, but for what? Shinai was not really a Dark Jedi, he was a bounty hunter who had been a Jedi, the attacks he had made were not for his own reasons, he had been _hired_ to do them. And there was no revenge, the closest he could come to that was the death of Adi Gallia about four years ago and he had not known he well at all.

_So what is it then?_ he asked himself, _I have him here at my mercy, I can kill him now…but I need a reason._ And the reason was not for the Council, not for Obi-Wan but to explain to himself why he had taken a life when he needn't have. Did he need a reason? Could he let Shinai go?

Anakin took Shinai's lightsaber off him which was pressed uselessly against his chest, the blade at an impossible angle. He then deactivated his own weapon.

"What are you doing?" Shinai asked in surprise.

"I'm taking you back to the Temple where you will explain your actions to the Council," Anakin told him.

"Why are you sparing me?" Shinai asked. "I know this wouldn't be your first kill, Skywalker, you know how easy it is."

"That's the difference between us, then," Anakin said. "Just because it's _easy_, doesn't mean its _right_. I thought you would have learned that before I did."

Was it something in Anakin's words? Or was it earlier when he was about to finish Shinai off, but wouldn't? Either way, Anakin detected a change in Shinai. While the former Jedi had not returned from the dark side, he seemed to regard Anakin with respect.

"Yes," he said at last, "I did learn that, but I'd forgotten."

Anakin held out a hand in friendship. "You'll come now?" he asked.

Shinai shook his head. "No, I don't deserve that. You were right, Skywalker, about the difference between us."

"That doesn't mean you can't start again," Anakin said.

"No," Shinai murmured. "It's far too late for me." He paused, as if he was remembering something. "There's one more thing."

"Your son," Anakin murmured.

"Don't ever tell Arrin about this," Shinai said. "Make sure he's all right." He stepped off the edge of the speeder bus.

"No, Shinai." Anakin tried to stop him but it was too late.

For a moment Anakin made as if to follow him, then what he saw below made him stop. He saw Shinai ignite his lightsaber as he fell, he saw the blue blade move in a circle and—though he did not see what it did—he could feel the pulse of Shinai's life vanish from the Force. Was he dead?

_Probably_. Yet Anakin had a sinking feeling that he wasn't, but nevertheless he would not be bothering them again, or anyone else.

_So what am I left with?_ he asked himself, looking around at the brightening sky as the hovertrain cleared the line of skyscrapers, _I don't even have a body._

With a grim smile he got out his comlink.

--

Obi-Wan was just outside the Council chamber with Arrin when his comlink buzzed.

"That didn't take long," he said into it, knowing it was Anakin. "Where are you and how soon can you get here?"

"Are you near the Council chamber?" Anakin asked.

"Yes," replied Obi-Wan uncertainly.

"Come out onto the balcony."

Not knowing quite what to expect, Obi-Wan did as Anakin said. He noticed a hovertrain quickly pass the Temple, there was someone standing on the top. Someone _waving_ at him. Obi-Wan shook his head as he returned the wave.

"Anakin, what the blazes are you doing up there?" he asked impatiently.

"Admiring the view," Anakin replied. "It's great up here, you should try it."

"Where's Shinai?" Obi-Wan asked. Anakin was out of view now.

Anakin's answer was quick and monosyllabic. "Gone."

Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow. "Dead?"

"I don't know," Anakin told him.

"What do you mean you don't know?" Obi-Wan demanded.

"I mean exactly that," Anakin retorted, "I don't know."

Obi-Wan knew he wasn't going to get any more answers out of him. "Anakin, for the sake my own sanity get off at the next stop," he said. "You've got ten minutes to get back here."

"What's the hurry?" Anakin asked.

"Nothing," Obi-Wan replied. "I just want to make sure there's nothing to distract you on the way back."


	21. Chapter 21

With a resigned air Anakin gave his report of the mission to the Jedi Council. He told the whole story beginning with Stokra's call to see him and ending with the duel with Shinai. When he finished the Masters looked at him with some interest, all except Yoda who examined Anakin sceptically.

"Think you do that Stokra hired Shinai to do the attacks?" he asked.

"It all makes sense, Master Yoda," Anakin replied. "I've considered it from every angle and I'm convinced that Stokra was behind it, even having the attack on himself to avoid suspicion."

"Any evidence of this, have you?" Yoda continued. "For proof you need if to approach Stokra with this you are."

The smile fell from Anakin's face. "No."

Yoda turned to the other Masters. "Satisfied I am with this result, yet help us it does not."

"With the Senate still deadlocked the role of the Jedi is going to be a long and drawn out issue," observed Shaak Ti. "All we need to do is wait until Stokra raises his voice among those who are trying to explain Gunray's death."

"Masters," said Anakin suddenly, "I think there is something that can be done to silence Stokra."

At this they all turned on him in surprise.

Yoda snorted. "Silence?"

Anakin smiled. "Perhaps that was the wrong word to use," he said. "More like…appease." He explained his plan to the Council

Yoda considered this. "Certain this will work you are?"

"No, but I am confident," Anakin said. "It can work, at least I _think_ it can."

Yoda's green brow furrowed and he looked at Obi-Wan.

"Oh, I know nothing of this," Obi-Wan said, holding up his hands in surrender. "Don't look at me!"

"Settled it is then," Yoda said decidedly. "Confident of this I am too."

Anakin smiled as he bowed his head, yet when he went to go Obi-Wan motioned him to stay.

"What about the boy?" Obi-Wan asked. Arrin was waiting outside in the company of two droids who would be very vigilant. "I sensed the Force was quite strong with him, what is to become of him?"

Yoda examined Obi-Wan with interest. "Wish him to be trained, you do?"

"What else can be done, Master Yoda?" Obi-Wan pointed out. "His mother is dead, his father is gone and as far as I can tell he remembers nothing of what had happened last night."

The little Jedi Master turned back to Anakin. "What think you on this?"

Anakin thought for a long moment, he knew Arrin should be trained…yet how to say this. "Didn't you say, Master Yoda, that we need to find more Jedi to fill the spaces that had been left by the war?"

"Said this I did," agreed Yoda. "Yet why repeat it now, do you?"

"I remember when you were discussing whether I should be trained that your initial decision what that I was too old," he continued. "Arrin is younger than I was when I first came, so I don't see any reason why he shouldn't be trained."

"And perhaps," Obi-Wan said, catching what Anakin was saying, "we should broaden our search for those sensitive to the Force."

"We have already accepted infants outside Republic worlds," opined Nat Sem.

"Perhaps the age should be raised somewhat," Obi-Wan suggested. "Not dramatically of course."

There was a ripple of agreement in the chamber.

"More discussion on this is needed," asserted Yoda, waving a green finger. "Yet young Arrin, see him now we will."

Anakin opened the door and called Arrin in. When the boy was inside Anakin left, walking through the Temple and heading for the Senate building.

--

Stokra's office may have been repaired from Shinai's assault, yet appearances showed that the senator was no longer taking any chances with security. For instance, if someone wanted to see Stokra then they had to either have an appointment or be on a list of people who could see Stokra without one. Only then would the security grid be lowered and the way was clear from the landing pad to Stokra's office.

Anakin did not have an appointment nor was his name bound to be on the list of allowed visitors, yet he was determined to see Stokra. He arrived at the senator's floor in the apartment complex and met a rather surprised-looking security guard.

"You've got a lot of nerve coming here, Jedi Skywalker," the guard said, Stokra had made sure that each member of his staff knew Anakin by sight. The guard told Anakin this.

Anakin smiled quietly, moving his hand ever so slightly. "I need to see him, you will let me through."

The guard blinked. "You need to see him," he said, "I will let you through."

Anakin moved his hand again. "You will deactivate the security grid."

"I will deactivate the security grid," the guard said, doing as he was ordered.

"Thank you," Anakin said, walking through. It didn't make much sense that Stokra had such a weak-minded doorman, but Anakin was pleased he hadn't had to draw his lightsaber.

--

The next barrier was the receptionist, a green-skinned Ishi-Tib with yellow eyes that glowed like lamps. He was unlike the Twi'lek who had previously sat there as a Hutt was to a Zeltron.

The Ishi-Tib eyed Anakin with obvious distaste. "I don't know how you got in, Skywalker," he said in stilted Basic, "but you're not going to stay long." He reached under his desk, Anakin rushed forward and caught his wrist.

"Don't please," he urged, with a flawless smile. "I'd hate for this to get messy." He walked around so he was behind the Ishi-Tib. "Which one of these buttons opens the door to Stokra's office?"

"None of them," the Ishi-Tib spat, "the senator has the only control for that door, he opens it only after I have verified who has come to see him." He glared at Anakin. "And don't think I'll do that for you."

Anakin shrugged. "No need to worry," he told the Ishi-Tib, "locks have never bothered me before."

After Anakin left the Ishi-Tib activated the comm unit so as Stokra could know who was coming.

--

The door took Anakin no more than a few minutes to open with the Force, he made sure the door would lock after he shut it then walked up to face Stokra.

The senator was so enraged that Anakin would not have been surprised if steam was coming out of his ears. He viewed Anakin with a glare that normally made his adversaries avert their eyes, it had no effect on the Jedi.

"Quite brazen, aren't you?" Stokra sneered. "Coming here without an appointment and without your minder."

These remarks were meant to insult but Anakin ignored them as he sat down. He had to approach this _exactly _right as it would be far from easy to beat a politician at his own game.

"I'm here to tell you that I know about Shinai," Anakin said.

"That name has no meaning to me," Stokra stated.

"Oh, come on, don't pull that one on me," Anakin said, leaning closer to Stokra so his nose almost touched the senator's green one. "I _know_ you hired him to make the attack on you just because you could have something to say about the Jedi on the HoloNet. And _then_ you contacted him to kill Gunray."

"I don't know what you are talking about." Stokra's hand was moving slowly to behind his desk. "And I must say that I find these accusations somewhat of an insult."

"I wouldn't touch that if I were you," Anakin said, he put a hand in his pocket and drew out a datacard.

Stokra froze, eying the object as if it were a thermal detonator about to go off. "Is that what I think it is?"

Anakin nodded. "Records of transactions between an account in your name and the account of Shinai Stel-Ardak," he said. "Rather _large_ transfers of credits."

"The account wasn't in my name," Stokra argued.

Anakin raised an eyebrow. "I'm sorry? I thought you didn't know anything about this?"

Stokra lay back in his chair and clasped his hands together. "You've found me out Skywalker," he said in a tight voice. "Even I know better than to debate with a Jedi on the nature of the truth." His mouth formed a grim line. "What is the price for your silence?"

Anakin frowned. "Jedi are not bought, Senator."

"Now you're the one fooling me, Skywalker," Stokra said. "I know that if you had more proof we wouldn't be having this conversation, you only have enough to make me listen."

"You're right," Anakin said, "there is something, but it's more like a request."

"I have limited means of granting—"

Anakin brushed these aside. "I am sure you will find what I want not that difficult." He paused for a moment, letting Stokra stew in the anticipation. "Retract your views against the Jedi and withdraw your opposition against the Loyalist's inclusion of the role of the Jedi in the new constitution and this," he waved the datacard in his face, "will disappear."

"Very well," Stokra agreed, "I will retract my views quietly and—"

"No, that won't do," Anakin interrupted. "What you need to do is make a full and public apology to the Senate."

"And what reasons am I to give for this?" Stokra asked.

"You'll think of something," Anakin told him.

"And Shinai," Stokra pressed, "is he likely to speak against me?"

"He's dead, he can't hurt anyone," Anakin said, though he knew this to be only half true.

"And what if I don't do as you say?" Stokra asked.

"I'll put this in the hands of those who will _get_ me proof," Anakin promised. "And then it won't be me asking the questions."

"I see." Stokra thought for a moment. "Very well, I accept this," he said. "I will make the statement this afternoon and—"

"No, this morning," Anakin interjected. "Why delay? You were going to say something about Gunray, weren't you? This would go in nicely." He got to his feet. "I won't take up too much of your time," he said.

Stokra got up from his desk. "Can I have the datacard?"

Anakin stared at him. "Do you think I trust you?" He pocketed it. "This stays with me."

"And why should I trust _you_?" Stokra demanded.

"No reason," Anakin shrugged. "But you're going to, aren't you?"

He waved a hand in front of the door, it opened. Stokra stared, how could he have done that? The lock was the best he could find.

"One more word of advice," Anakin warned with a dry smile. "There's no building in existence that can be made Jedi-proof, I know because I've broken into many of them."

And with a laugh, he left Stokra sitting there.

--

Arrin had been accepted by the Council for training, Obi-Wan had just enough time to see the boy to his new quarters and the care of Master Sarib before he ran through the Temple to see his class, all waiting for him to lead them out for Exhibition Day.

They looked at him accusingly.

"You're late," Jenai said, her eyes reproachful.

"I have no excuse," he said, clapping his hands. "Come on, let's go."

As he led them out his eyes travelled up to the balcony where Jedi Knights and Masters were watching the groups gather with some interest. Anakin was not among them though Obi-Wan hoped he would be and he could see there was someone else disappointed at the absence.

"He had to see Senator Stokra this morning," he told Sona. "He might be late."

This was mostly reassurance as Anakin had given no indication whether he would turn up at all. Yet he noticed Sona's face was brightened as he joined the other lightsaber instructors at the back of the room.

He had had hopes, but Obi-Wan knew he had to put them aside now. Anakin had to make his own choices and this time Obi-Wan knew he couldn't intervene.


	22. Chapter 22

After leaving Stokra's office, Anakin had not headed for the Temple. He had another destination in mind. Something that had been at the back of his thoughts ever since he had seen Shinai fall earlier, and it wasn't until now that he strove to put those plans into action.

He went to a disused part of the Executive Building, disused since three years ago, disused…and for a very good reason. Anakin touched the door, the lock was still molten where Obi-Wan had cut through, and then went inside.

For a moment he stood there, not speaking, not thinking just allowing his senses to fill him. What he saw, what he felt…what he smelt…

The stench of burning was still strong, even three years later. Burning fabric, burning hair…and burning flesh.

He stopped near one of the low couches right below the relief of the Sith that Palpatine had showed him. _More your kind of story…battles and adventures…_ Yet that was not all that was here, after all it was here he had carried Padmé and she had died.

He touched the couch, still slightly charred from the lightning, touching the last place where she lay.

_I love you, Anakin…you'll have to let go…_

Anakin jumped back. "No, Padmé!" He screwed his eyes up but the tears came. He couldn't forget, the pain was still there, still strong…

He continued to walk into the room, the windows were covered with broad panels of durasteel, but that was all that had changed. The room was still as it had been, the air still reeked of ozone and on the floor was a large charred patch on the carpet where Sidious had died. But that was not all that was there, there was…something else, something…darker that he couldn't put his name.

Anakin felt his heart racing and his breath coming in short gasps as he could feel the energy surround him and take form. The room seemed to spin and Anakin had to hold onto a burnt chair to stay on his feet. He could see blue and green flashes of light going back and forward. He could hear shouts. He could hear…Padmé's voice.

"Anakin, no!" She then screamed as if he had torn her heart out and he searched for her, hoping to find a glimpse, a shadow, _anything_! What he wouldn't give just to _see_ her again!

Instead he saw the last thing he wanted to see, Sidious. He could identify the Sith Lord from his profile, but could see little else.

Someone was sitting before him, holding his head in his hands. Somehow, they looked familiar…

"What have I done?" the figure moaned, moving his hands from his face.

Anakin stared, that was _his own_ face!

"You are fulfilling your destiny, Anakin," said Sidious, his face slowly coming into the light and revealed to be as gnarled and twisted as it had been in Anakin's dream. "Become my apprentice," the Sith Lord said. "Learn to use the dark side of the Force."

Anakin watched the apparition of himself, surely the other him would reject Sidious's offer? That was what Anakin knew was the right thing to do.

Yet the other Anakin had a rather surprising answer. "I will do whatever you ask." The voice was low and full of pain, yet determined.

"Good," said Sidious. "She would have betrayed you, you know. You acted right in what you did."

"I know," the other Anakin said, the real one wondering what they were talking about. The apparition knelt before Sidious. "I pledge myself to your teachings," he said. "To the ways of the Sith."

_No! No!_ the real Anakin wanted to scream. _Can't you see he's deceiving you? Can't you see him for what he truly is?_ But the words wouldn't come out of his mouth and he was forced to watch.

"Good, good," murmured Sidious as he put a hand on the other Anakin's head. "The Force is strong with you. A powerful Sith you will become. Henceforth, you shall be known as Darth…" He paused and looked up as if to study the air around him. "Vader."

_It's only a vision_, the real Anakin told himself, _it hasn't really happened._ But what happened next made a chill go down his spine. The other him spoke in a deeper voice that he didn't recognise.

"Thank you, my Master."

_I've seen enough_, Anakin thought decidedly, _this hasn't happened and I'm done with looking at possibilities. I want to see what's _real. And then he noticed the body that was just behind the kneeled figure of the other him. Eyes wide in shock, mouth frozen in a scream, a wound on her chest as big as the one that had killed Sidious himself.

Padmé.

"NOOOOOO!" The screamed word was enough to break the spell the dark energy was weaving, the other him and Sidious disappeared and Anakin was once again alone in the room. He collapsed to a sitting position on the floor.

_I _wanted_ to see possibilities_, he realised, _as I wanted to see what _could_ have happened, _would_ have happened, if Padmé had lived._ Even though he had never given the thought centre-stage in his mind, it was always there, lurking in the background and conjuring up these things he didn't want to see.

Why had the Force shown him what he had seen in his dreams and just then and not what he had wanted to see?

Suddenly he saw the answer, just as Yoda said he would.

_Because it doesn't work that way_, Anakin said to himself, _I asked the Force to show me a 'What if' and it's shown me something I don't like. So I have to focus on what _does_ exist, and what _did_ happen that night._

He got off the floor and looked around then walked decidedly towards one of the delicate chairs along the wall. It was in splinters now as nothing had been removed or even moved from this room since that night except the cover on the window. Anakin knelt down to get into a good position and then he touched it, visualising it whole beneath his hand.

Anakin felt the Force swirl around him, choking and strangling him as the room swang from view.

"Padmé, he wants to help us," he could hear himself say in the distance.

Slowly Anakin's vision cleared and he could see himself, Sidious and Padmé standing there.

"No, he doesn't," Padmé asserted, turning back to Sidious.

He could see the conflict in her face, see her look at Sidious and then feel for the lightsaber on her belt. Then her hand went away as an expression of resolution crossed her face but slowly, that hesitation crawled back.

Anakin wished that he could rush to Padmé and tell her that she didn't know what she was doing but he knew if he removed his hand from the chair the induced-vision would go and he would lose everything. He continued to watch hating every minute and hating himself for the mistakes he had made back then.

Padmé's lightsaber then flew to her hands, the green blade lit and when she went to attack Palpatine sure as anything his other self went into deflect the blow.

Padmé stared at the other him, her mouth open in surprise. "_Anakin?!_"

For a moment all that he heard was the sound of the lightsaber blades. Anakin saw his own face set in concentration.

"Anakin, what are you _doing_?" Padmé asked. She lowered her lightsaber blade and it was quickly intercepted. "Anakin, stand back!"

The rest of the exchange went as Anakin remembered it, and as much as he hated it he forced himself to watch. The blows went back and forward and Anakin wondered how he could had spoken to Padmé like that given what was to come.

Finally his other self gave Padmé the choice.

"What matters to you the most?" the other Anakin said. "Me? Or the Jedi?"

_How could I have been so stupid?_ he realised, _how could I have asked this of her?_

He watched Padmé's face, seeing the change that in his anger he had not noticed the first time around. Her eyes grew soft as she examined the other him, _what is she thinking?_ Anakin wondered, _what was it that _made_ her do what I know she is going to do?_

With wounded but determined eyes, Padmé spoke. Anakin closed his eyes as she did, remembering what she had said and mouthing the words as she said them.

"I'm sorry, Anakin, I love you, and I tried to save you, but I won't let you destroy yourself."

And then the fight. It was one thing to remember it in flashes, one thing to have parts of it in his dreams that didn't come out as he remembered, but it was something else entirely for him to actually _see_ it.

_Could this have been where it went wrong?_ Anakin asked himself as he watched, _is this one of the places where a different word, a different movement, could have changed _everything He remembered Padmé's scream and the wound in her chest, it was entirely possible.

Then, in the middle of the fight Padmé turned away and ran towards Palpatine. His other self ran after her, screaming for her to stop. He attacked her, his blade moving without precision, focus or even planning. The blades locked, the faces were so close…

"You'll thank me later," she whispered to the other him, then she shoved him back with the Force.

With alarm, Anakin noticed his own back hurtling fast towards him. He then remembered something, hadn't he landed on a chair and smashed it? Quickly he rolled out of the way, removing his hand from the chair as he did so, the room swirled back to what it was and Anakin was panting on the floor.

"That's enough," he murmured, getting to his feet and screwing his eyes shut. "I've seen enough."

Yet he stood there for a moment, recollecting the last fragments, the part when Padmé had thrown him across the room…

Anakin started, he still didn't know why had she done that. _Did she want me out of the way so she could attack Sidious?_ he asked himself, _maybe, as I probably would have stopped her. But…she also_ saved_ me by doing that after she had already made up her mind to _kill_ me._

It was then Anakin realised that he had been wrong all along to keep Padmé's memory alive in the painful way that he did. _I thought all along that I was the one responsible for her death, even indirectly_, he realised, _when what actually happened is that she chose her fate, and she knew it too._

For years he had blamed himself for something he hadn't done, inwardly scouring himself with the knowledge that he had caused Padmé's death, perhaps taken a pride in doing do. Padmé had chosen her death, had acted in a way that she knew would put her life in the balance, a selfless and right decision.

_Just like a Jedi_, Anakin thought, _and it was my mistake to never see her like that._

And just like a Jedi, Anakin considered his loss. He went back over in his mind of all the pain he had gone through in the month just after Padmé's death, of the arguments with Obi-Wan and the stares he had had to put up with not to mention all the question. There was also the burning he had carried inside of him as he had gone around the galaxy doing whatever was needed to be done to make the pain go away, but it didn't, it was _inside_ him. And then he remembered the dreams, his tears and questions as to whether he was responsible for her death, her imploring face and the burning _knowledge_ that he was.

Then he let it go, let the grief and anger and pain and all the rest of them ebb out of him until there was none left. Though it had left him with a rather empty feeling inside, he was glad it had gone.

_So what now?_ Anakin asked himself, sitting there and staring into the dark.

But, through the dark a tiny pinprick of light started to shine. Anakin turned towards it and he saw someone walking towards him. He knew that it was just a vision, knew that there was no way for her to actually _be_ there, but that didn't stop him from recognising her.

And suddenly, Anakin knew what he had to do.


	23. Chapter 23

Delayed in a meeting, Bail was again late for the morning session of the Senate, he cursed the long speeches that had held him up as he entered the Alderaan box.

Sheltray met him. "Where have you been?" she asked. "Stokra's—"

"I know, I can see him," Bail interrupted, Stokra's pod was in the centre of the chamber, but there was something rather odd about it. He did not seem to be arguing with anyone, rather reading a prepared speech.

"…I regret that my recent actions and assertions have divided this body and diverted it from its true object," Stokra intoned, "namely the governance of the worlds and citizens of the Republic, which must always be a highest priority." He paused. "I cannot excuse them and some of you, my noble colleagues, would say that they were raised for my own personal opinions or any ulterior motives that you may care to name but I will not say these things. We must all agree upon this new constitution in its entirety if we are to be seen at the representative legislative body that we say we are."

Bail joined in with the applause somewhat tentatively, he could hardly believe what he had just heard. Had Stokra just backed down? Did nerfs suddenly learn to speak? Had the spires of Aldera come crashing down? Was he even _awake_?

His aide nodded when she noticed his questioning face. "I didn't believe it, but it's true," she said. "I don't know what has made him withdraw his views against the Jedi, but I'm not questioning it."

"Neither am I," Bail said, spotting Danta entering the back of the box.

The Gungan embraced him warmly as the Senate started to applaud louder and cheer, Bail found himself joining in.

"Wesa win!" Danta shouted, running out of the box whooping for joy.

--

To celebrate Bail had brought out some Alderaanian wine, sharing it around with a smile. None of them knew what had caused Stokra to back down and there were ten times as many theories as there were senators. Bail planned to find out, of course, but not now.

"You realise, what's going to happen?" Mon Mothma asked, her cheeks slightly flushed from her drink.

"Well the constitution should be approved by this afternoon's session," Bail said, turning to see Danta and Bel Iblis laughing together, "hopefully we'll all be a little less rowdy by then."

They laughed and it felt got to laugh as it had been so long and so hard a fight.

"It's not just that," Mothma said, running her finger around the rim of her glass. "Amedda will step down as Chancellor and there will be an election, that's a whole new battle we have to face."

Bail almost spilt his drink down his front, realising what Mothma was saying. Could Stokra get in for Chancellor riding on the sympathy he had just made for himself? It was entirely possible.

"Don't worry." She reassured him.

--

Exhibition Day was over and while Sona had hoped differently, Jedi Skywalker had not turned up. Master Kenobi had said not to feel too bad about it, but it was hard when several of her friends talked about being chosen by Jedi as they ate the evening meal.

"It won't be that bad," Jenai reassured her, she had not been chosen either.

"That's what they _say_," Sona said, playing with the food on her plate.

"Master Sarib's coming," whispered one of the others and they started to eat quickly.

The Rhodian Jedi Master stopped at her table. "Sona? Could you come with me, please?"

Sona felt her heart sink as she slid off the chair. Was she going to be sent away from the Temple? She could feel her friends sympathetic gazes as she followed Sarib out of the refectory. They passed the dormitories and entered the turbolift. When they emerged, Sona discovered they were on the level that the Knights and Masters had their quarters, was she going to be punished?

Sarib stopped outside Master Yoda's meditation chamber, this was worse than she realised. For the second time Sona wondered if she was going to be sent away.

The Rhodian didn't go inside. "Just go in, Sona," she said, smiling kindly. "They're expecting you."

_They?_ Sona watched Sarib's retreating back. But she didn't question her; she timidly knocked on the door and entered when told.

Sona had only been in Yoda's meditation room once before and that was many years ago when he had spoken to all of the younglings that had witnessed Dooku and Renust Nju's attack on the Temple. Sona had been in the Temple Memorial Room with several other younglings while Yoda and Nju had battled, but it hadn't affected her as much as it had the others.

But all of these thoughts fled from her mind as she examined the two Jedi that sat in front of her. Of course, Yoda was there but next to him was someone rather unexpected, Jedi Skywalker. All thoughts of punishment fled from her mind, for is that was to happen to her it would be more likely that Sarib would enter with her.

But why _was_ she here then? Somehow, even the question seemed superfluous.

"Jedi Skywalker wishes to take you as his Padawan learner," Yoda said, giving the impression that Sona had entered mid-conversation, "what say you to this?"

Sona didn't say anything for a moment. She looked from Yoda's kind, wise, old eyes to Anakin's questioning gaze. It was something she had hoped ever since he had taken her 'saber class—no, before that, when she had seen him the night of the lambent poppies—but had not really considered it until just before Exhibition Day when she had hoped that Jedi Skywalker would see _her_ out of all the others performing well, and perhaps, afterwards, would speak to her…

"I think I'd like that very much," Sona said, "but I'm not sure what kind of Padawan I'd make…Master." She added the last word rather hesitatingly, as if she was afraid that everything would vanish if she spoke about it.

Yoda chuckled. Anakin smiled, still looking at her, but it was not an unkind gaze. It all seemed settled, but there were still the ritual words. Anakin got to his feet and approached Sona, kneeling down so he did not tower over her.

"Sona Cantari," Anakin said, "I would be honoured if you would my Padawan learner."

Sona smiled. She had wanted to hear nothing else. "I accept…Master." The word had been spoken so anxiously before, now she said it as if she meant it. And in the Force, the bond between them, created by those words given and received, was formed.


	24. Chapter 24

That evening Sona went down to her room to collect the few belongings that were there. As a Padawan she would be on a different level of the Temple and she created quite a sensation as she walked there, mostly caused by the thin braid beside her right ear. Black tipped with gold.

Jenai cornered her, she herself had a Padawan braid, but it was not tipped with a contrasting colour as Sona's was. "You too?" she asked.

Sona nodded.

The two girls were hugging and laughing then ran off together earning a reprimand from Sarib for almost knocking her over. They stopped in Sona's room, then went off to Jenai's then finally walked up together to where their new rooms were located.

"It still feels kinda strange," Sona confided. "Like it's not _real_, it didn't _really_ happen."

Mischievously Jenai gave Sona's new Padawan braid a sharp tug, she cried out in pain. "That make it real?" Jenai asked.

"It does," winced Sona with a grin.

--

If the Senate's morning session had been a surprise, then the afternoon one was even more so for Bail Organa. Amedda's long resignation's speech hadn't been a surprise, neither had the nomination of Stokra for Chancellor when the call for the election had been made.

But what was surprising was when Senator Perenine of Avingnon—a weather vane if he ever knew one—put forward the second nomination: himself. Danta seconded it and while the Gungan was talking Bail happened to catch Mothma's eye across the chamber. She winked at him, should he have expected it? He had given no hints or even thoughts other than wild speculation. Did he even have a _chance_ against Stokra?

Duly, Bail brought his pod forward to accept the nomination but he was still slightly stunned. He expressed this to Mothma and Danta when they were talking later.

"Why didn't you run this by me first?" he asked her.

"You would have tried to talk me out of it," she countered.

Bail considered this was a possibility but chose to say nothing on it. "Still," he continued, "I don't know why—or even how—you got Perenine to say it for you."

The young woman smiled. "I thought you were the one who knew more about politics, Bail," she said. "It was a stunt, to show we have something bigger than we actually have. Besides," she added, "there's no need to worry, as long as we have the numbers she'll side with us."

"And what makes you think that?" Bail asked.

"Trust me," Mothma reassured, "we do."

--

The next day the election was broadcast live from the HoloNet in one of the large rooms in the Jedi Temple. Many Jedi came in and out of that room to see the results from time to time yet when a critical stage was reached in the counting of the votes the room was full to bursting. Obi-Wan scrambled over a few knees to sit beside Anakin and Sona.

"How is it?" he asked.

"It's close," Anakin said. "Organa and Stokra are neck and neck." His only interest in the election extended as far as to Stokra not winning, anything else to him was inconsequential.

For a moment Obi-Wan watched the two of them, talking to each other as if it was perfectly natural. And, Obi-Wan suddenly realised it, it _was_. While he had hoped that Anakin would open his eyes to what had been developing between himself and Sona, it had never occurred to Obi-Wan that Anakin would go ahead and do something _without_ telling his former Master. Was it because of the way that he knew Obi-Wan would react? _No, there's more to it than that_, Obi-Wan thought, _Anakin's letting go, something I never thought he would do._

He examined them for a moment longer, he knew they still had quite a way to go before they knew each other as he and Anakin had done, but the potential was there like a wide road leading them both through the Force.

_And leaving me behind_, Obi-Wan mused, _perhaps _I'm_ the one with trouble letting go._

_In many ways she's a perfect foil for him_, he said to himself, _Anakin's still so impulsive, yet Sona's so quiet you hardly notice she's there sometimes. And there certainly is something between them, something that even _I_ missed…_

As Dekau, the Vice-Chair of the Senate, received a new transmission a hush fell over the room, all eyes on the holoprojector. The Ithorian began to speak.

"Members of the Senate," she said, her five throats making her voice somewhat distorted, "I have the final results here. The new Supreme Chancellor of the Galactic Republic is…"

As she spoke several Jedi in the room shouted and the words were drowned out. Obi-Wan called for everyone to calm down but by the time they did Dekau had finished speaking.

"Who is it?" Sona asked, looking at the two Jedi alternately.

"It's not him," Anakin said, smiling as he noticed the Alderaan pod enter the arena.


	25. Chapter 25

It was by a very close margin, and Organa knew that Stokra's speech that morning had something to do with the result. However, he permitted himself to smile as the Senate chamber erupted into cheers. There were moments, after all.

Yet one of those who did not raise their voice in jubilation was Stokra himself, who looked on with a bitter expression. He knew of course what had happened and why Organa had won and not he himself. Was this Skywalker's intention? Did the Jedi use him to subtly affect the election they _knew_ was coming so as to have a Chancellor who ascribed to _their_ views?

Whatever the reason and cause for this was, Stokra intended to keep his coalition intact. He still had plans, even though they were delayed somewhat there was no reason he could not carry them through to fruition.

As Organa began his victory speech Stokra vowed that he would have his vengeance. Vengeance for the humiliation he had suffered by Skywalker and all the Jedi posers who were with him.

Not now, but later when he could strike with precision and strength.

--

_Things are changing_, Obi-Wan realised as he walked through the Temple that evening on the way to the refectory, _even Anakin's moved on and I didn't think such a thing was possible._

But there was still one unanswered question: what had happened to Anakin in between the time he had left the Council to see Stokra and the time he had returned? Anakin had offered no information other than vaguely saying that he had 'found something he thought he had lost'.

And then Obi-Wan had asked if it had involved the dreams, had Anakin somehow found the answer he was seeking?

But whatever this answer was—or if it had been found—Obi-Wan was not privy to it. There was nothing more to accept the change as he had always done. Accept the change in Anakin, for while he was not what he had been since the end of the war ended, since Padmé's death, only parts of the Anakin that Obi-Wan remembered from before returned. Parts moulded with new things, new aspects, new characteristics.

He reached the refectory and he saw Sona and Anakin eating together. Obi-Wan smiled. _Looks like I'll have to get to know him all over again,_ he mused as he walked closer.

--

Yoda had said it would be a while yet until Sona was ready for missions and even then Anakin knew they would be tame, routine ones as had been the case when he had started his training. It was a change he would have to get used to, not negotiating with the point of his lightsaber, but he knew he could live with it if he had to.

The ache was still there where the pain had been, Anakin could still feel it even it had not been as sharp or burning as it had been. But it would only heal if he allowed it to, for as Obi-Wan had said, everything eventually healed.

And just like the morning three years ago when he and Obi-Wan had watched morning come to Coruscant, a morning that had heralded the end of the war with the knowledge that at least one Jedi was not there to share it with, he wasn't alone. But that wasn't all now, after all, there was someone else.


End file.
